


The Poor Lonesome Cowboy and his Unruly Son

by The_Last_Nightwalker



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Multi, OC is a bit of a troll, OMC - Freeform, Original Character(s), Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Campers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-01-22 15:24:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 46,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Last_Nightwalker/pseuds/The_Last_Nightwalker
Summary: Max knows the world and the people in it can be cruel, not to mention have issues, but there are more to it than even he knows. After crashing the bus, and having no money in their budget to repair it, David is forced to call a man who funds the camp to help, and the man decided, unlike other times, to come to the camp himself. After seeing the sad state it's in, and noticing the signs of embezzlement (Cameron Campbell, duh) the financial backer, Enocente Vero, decides to stay and help with the campers and to make sure the money goes to what its supposed to.Max quickly realizes that this man shares a similar view of the world and feels drawn to him for this reason, not to mention he's a lot more fun than David, but this will expose Max to both the best and worst sides of reality.Max will learn the hard way that there are worse things than neglectful parents.Yes, OC, fight me. No, he will not replace Dadvid. I just can't write a story without them, forgive me.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 15





	1. Issues in all shapes and forms

#  Chapter 1: Issues in all shapes and forms.

The alarms were still ringing in his head, loud enough to make fingers search for blood. There was none, and the sound was not really there, just an echo that refuses to leave his mind. Any respite from the blaring alarms was followed closely by both screams of terror and agony. The ringing was preferable to the screams. 

Looking up from the ground as several people rushed in, surrounded by a large amount of doctors, security guards, police, and over a dozen parents. He looked to a school bus, picturing the elated faces of the children that had arrived an hour ago to go on a tour of the facility. He looked up and spotted a thin stream of smoke flowing up, helicopters with his logo on them, dropping a cleanup crew on the roof of the building where the smoke was coming from. They were a distance away, they had a trained clean up crew with the necessary materials and equipment, so the spread shouldn’t be too bad, but right now, he was being mentaly tortured by thoughts of not only the workers on shift, but the children. 

He knew only a small amount actually leaked out, thanks to their safety failsafe. The device was suspended in the air of their power room, seated inside of a dome that was held several feet above the floor my metal pillars. Attached to the outside of the dome were tracks that held the other half of the dome, so that when there’s a leak, the other dome will move in on a track and connect to the other half, sealing the main part of the device, that held the radioactive material, creating a sealed sphere. That process is repeated several times with three more spheres, also split into domes, ensuring the device was sealed under multiple layers.

A nurse rushed over and Enocente looked over, forcing him out of his thoughts. “I need you to get everyone started on an IV.” He said flatly, his eyes distant.

The two started to walk into another room, filled with more people. “But we don’t have enough.”

The older man shook his head, pulling a gas mask from his bag. “All the children then.”

“But we don’t have enough.”

“As many as you can!” He snapped, pulling the mask on, he was quickly flanked by nurses in black scrubs, gas masks and purple armbands.

“Where’s Stanley?”

The nurse finished putting on her mask. “He’s in B16.”

Enocente started to rush, quickly leaving the nurse behind. He pushed past many of the workers, their faces being burned into his mind even though he tried not to look. 

After seeing that all the children were stripped of their contaminated clothes, cleaned, and being treated, he made his way to B16, finding the doctor sitting in a chair, trying his best to keep the child calm.

“Report.” His voice, muffled by the mask, startled both the doctor and the child he was attending. The two moved away from the child.

“Fortunately, it seems to be only hematopoietic for most of the children. The workers…” He shook his head.

“How soon can we start letting the parents see their children?”

The man let out a sigh. “As soon as we make sure they can’t contaminate anything or anyone, and are stable.”

Enocente waited before taking a step forward, towering over the doctor, figuratively. “How long?”

The doctor sighed. “Does it matter?”

Enocente grabbed him by his tie and pulled him close. “How. Long?”

“Four hours, at least. We don’t have the proper equipment on hand.”

Enocente pushed him away, turned and started to leave. “Have someone ship it here, then. I’ll go inform the parents before there’s a riot.”

He stayed in the lobby for the rest of the afternoon, and well into the night, constantly explaining to the parents that the children are okay, but can’t be visited until it’s determined they won’t spread the radiation sickness. The rest of the time was spent explaining what type of radiation poisoning their children had. It was hard, especially with so many interruptions, to explain that there was a good chance they would survive, just be sick for a while. Before a nurse was allowed to enter, Enocente explained the children were going to be kept there until it was safe to move them to a hospital closer to their respective homes. With a nod the nurse came in and said a child’s name, and had the parents follow them. Soon, nurses came in and brought the parents to their children. It was past midnight when the name of the last child was called and he was left in the lobby on his own.

With his thoughts.

_ Two men dead. Six more on their way. Five on the edge of either becoming deathly sick or recovery. Only one has minor radiation poisoning. Ten still unaccounted for. _

Eight will be dead in a few days, most likely followed by an additional ten, and there was no way to keep it a secret. Years ago, he could have done it. Most of the workers then were desperate, with no family or choice, so signing the contract stating he was not responsible if they died during an incident was guaranteed. Not anymore. News coverage, lawsuits, investigations, and all other sorts of invasive issues he had to deal with. 

_ Man, I used to be so much worse. _

The investigation to determine the reason for the radiation leak was easy enough. Pressure increased so much that the chamber burst open, caused by a new employee who noted the pressure incorrectly. The extra layers that were built to close around the main chamber activated immediately, but some radiation still got out. It was most likely due to rusty gears. Not good, since it means they weren’t conducting regular maintenance, if that was the case. Lawsuit, right there. They had not only the means to contain and stop the spread of radiation, but also to treat it. The device hardly had 2 roentgen, hardly a lethal amount, unless there is prolonged exposure, which shouldn’t be happening. The moment radiation leaks alarms sound and guards escort everyone out so the clean up crew can get to work. That happened within two minutes, so he has a quick response time going for him. Clean up happens as soon as everyone was clear, only a few minutes after the initial evacuation, so there’s also that. The biggest issue was the current dead and soon to be dead.

He placed his hands over his face.  _ Oh, God. What do I tell their families? _

He got up and went to his office and got on to his computer to review security footage. As he glared at the screen, he hardly noticed anything wrong. Some workers spending too much time talking, but nothing that could have caused the incident. He looked for the new employee as he checked the pressure reading of the device, and saw him talk with another, more experienced coworker to check if he read it right.

He did.

Enocente sighed, frowning.  _ So it’s not human error. Maybe something with the device? _ His thoughts made his head hurt, but he was unable to stop them.

_ Maybe the device was rusting? Got weak? _ He switched cameras to the device, moments before it burst.

There were several people inside, quietly monitoring several things. Everything seems to be going well until the image started to flicker, most likely a result of leaking radiation, but the alarm hadn't gone off. Then again, radiation can mess with electronics, but there should be several devices, at different areas of the room that can detect radiation, so why haven’t the alarms gone off then? He shook his head, then noticed the camera flicker more and the next thing he knows, the device burst open, sending shrapnel into the chest of one of the women working inside. Enocente felt his stomach churn slightly, but he forced himself to keep watching as the other workers tried to get out of the room. The doors wouldn’t open. The reports stated as much. They were electronic, lead lined doors on a track that slide when opening and closing, so if the radiation was capable of ruining the electronics in the doors, keeping them sealed, then there was going to be another Triangle Shirtwaist situation on his hands. 

_ The doors wouldn’t open because of the radiation? _ Enocente swore under his breath, realising that was another issue he would have to deal with.

Taking a moment to look at their faces then go through the list of unaccounted for, he realised the workers that were trapped inside were the missing workers. More confirmed deaths. He was going to get up when a thought hit him. The doors had lead to keep radiation in, but there was no real locking mechanism for  _ that _ door, only on the door beyond that, which is only locked when no one is there. The doors would be a bit heavy, but there is  _ no way  _ they couldn’t get out. So why were they stuck in there? Something really wrong is going on, he’s certain.

**Someone’s coming for you, traitor.** Enocente flinched.  **I know you hear me. Someone tried to attack you, killed your workers.**

He growled. “So what would you have me do then?”

**Find them, track them like animals, and then kill them, like the old days.**

“That’s not the way we do things.”

**Of course it is! You are good at it! You enjoy it! You miss it! The HUNT!**

“Shut. Up.” He growled, looking up, but only seeing darkness.

**They damaged your things, your workers! Get even. Pay them back! Ruin them!**

“Get out of my head!” Enocente pulled a gun from under his desk and shot towards the voice, disrupting the suffocating darkness and made his ears ring painfully.

As his ears slowly stopped ringing, his eyes focused and he could see his monitor now had a hole in it. He slowly placed the gun down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He steadied his breathing and the ringing persisted, making him shake. It was after a good two minutes that he realised the ringing was from the landline on his desk. He checked his watch, seeing it was now noon.

_ How long was I in here? _ He picked it up with a hollow sigh. “Vero speaking.”

_ “Hello? This is David, the counselor of Camp Campbell.” _

“Yes. Yes… How may I help you?” He sat down, frowning at the broken monitor, knowing he missed multiple calls and emails during his “episode.”

David was chuckling shakily.  _ “Um, we kind of need your help.” _

“What’s wrong? Is it a fire?” Enocente sat up and quickly fished a tablet out from his desk and turned it on.

_ “No, nothing that serious.” _ David responded quickly.

Enocente had his calendar open on his tablet, canceling just about everything, but the response made him relax. “Oh, okay. Is it about funding? So you managed to get more campers?” He smiled weakly.

_ “Yes, we did get more campers, two new campers came today. But uh… well.” _ The line went silent.

Enocente felt his hope for good news waning. “So what’s the problem?”

_ “The bus got damaged after the Quartermaster dropped off the new campers.” _ Enocente sighed loudly.  _ “No one was hurt! No campers were hurt!” _ David exclaimed quickly.

“Okay, calm down. Good news and bad news. I can help you, but I gotta go down there myself. Things are a bit… busy up here, so I can’t send anyone else.”

_ “REALLY?!” _

“Jesus! Don’t shout, I’m right here.” Enocente grumbled.

_ “I’m sorry, sir!” _

“I can be there by the end of the day, at the earliest. If possible, move the bus to an open area so I can access it and see if it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.”

_“Thank you so much, Mr. Vero! I promise you, even with the bus you won’t regret supporting us.”_ David said happily.

“I’m sure. Goodbye, David.”

_“Goodbye, sir! Have a safe trip!”_ David hung up.

Enocente leaned back and let out yet another sigh. He got up and pulled out his cellphone and made arranged to have a plane take him to an airport closest to the camp and to have clothes ready for him. This day was already turning out to be one of the worst he’s had in a long time. Hopefully his suffering meant someone else was having a great day.

**Max**

Max was not having a good day, and not only is it obvious to most of the other campers, he was going to make sure David knew it. Not only did his escape attempt fail miserably, David informed them that due to the damages to the bus exceeded their overall budget, and Cambell was gone, they were going to have to contact a financial backer to come and help with the costs, in person. The decision made Max quickly think up of some other idiot like David, which is a horrid thought, especially since one David is already unbearable. 

The man, who David referred to as Mr. Vero, was a wealthy scientist, who apparently was able to leave his workplace to come down himself due to an incident that resulted in a large amount of construction, giving him free time. 

Max sat at the mess hall, surrounded by the other campers who were doing their own thing, and flanked on either side by his newest accomplices, Neil and Nikki. “God damnit.” 

Neil stopped poking his “food” and regarded Max. “What is it?”

“Did you hear David? There’s going to be some creep coming down here.” 

“Why does he have to be a creep?” Neil inquired with a raised brow. 

Max rolled his eyes. “What other kind of person would care about a place like this?” 

“Any kind of person. Look at Gwen. She clearly doesn’t care about this place like David does.” Neil glanced at his food, waiting to see if it’ll still move. “David did say he came here as a kid, so maybe he acts so happy because he’s biased.”

“He’s an insufferable idiot. No one that happy actually exists.” Max grumbled, still adamant in his beliefs.

Nikki, for her part, had largely ignored their conversation in favor of eating, not even flinching at the taste. “Maybe this a cover. Oh! Maybe he’s secretly a spy!”

Max flinched at her volume, but shook his head. “No one that interesting would ever come here.”

“That’s what they want you to think. If that’s true, anyway.” Neil added with a smile, finding the topic oddly amusing.

“How do you know that. Are you in with them?!” Nikki jumped onto the table and got into Neil’s face in an instant. 

The rest of the day went on in a similar fashion; Max encouraging Neil and Nikki to cause trouble with pranks, Nikki being just insane, and Neil having to cope with not getting the science camp he was hoping for. It was getting close to the “bed time” for the camp when Neil was placed with Max, while Nikki went to her assigned tent for obvious reasons. Max would rather have the girl nearby, but he does remember that at some point they may be in a state of undress when it gets too hot, but Max really never “stripped” anywhere but the showers, not even the privacy of his tent did he ever take his shirt or pants off, but he did understand where it was coming from.

It was right after he got dressed to sleep that Max spotted their new visitor. In all honesty, Max heard him before he saw the man. The sound of a motorcycle, Harley Davidson, to be exact, and it was  _ nice _ . If Max had to guess, it was brand new with a dark red and black paint job, and a storage compartment on the back. The best part about the paint job was that as it moved toward the counselor cabin, the red shifted to black, depending on the angle. Max was desperately wishing it was day, so he could appreciate the vehicle properly.

The man, Mr. Vero stopped and put down the brake and got off, his leather boots leaving a big imprint on the ground. He wore a full helmet with its visor up, since it was night. As he took it off, still too dark to really see what he looked like. Vero opened the storage on the bike and put the helmet inside, removing a hat that reminded Max of an old western, although the brim was more flat and had something shiny adorning it. 

“Check this guy out, Neil.” Max asked incredulously, maybe a bit too loudly, since the man reacted. 

Vero turned calmly, locking eyes with Max, making the boy stiffen. Max couldn’t make out his face in the dark, but he knew he was staring, even though he couldn’t see eyes. Before Max could say anything, David unknowingly came to the rescue. 

“Mr. Vero!”

The man flinched as David ran up, and quickly cut him off with a brisk, “Show me the bus.”

“Of course. Follow me!” David was undeterred by his behavior and led the man away.

Max retreated to the tent and had another restless night, but for different reasons that night.

**Enocente**

The next morning, instead of starting their planned activity right away, David insisted on introducing Enocente Vero to the campers, since he, against his better judgment, agreed to stay and act as an impromptu counselor since there were only two of them and a lot of campers. However, despite having to nearly, physically, squeeze David on how exactly, three  _ kids _ stole and nearly totaled a bus, while being actively pursued by two, in shape, arguably athletic  _ adults _ , Enocente was learning something about the main counselor he wished he knew beforehand.

David was, in three simple words, too damn happy. Having lived a decent amount of time, Enocente has met and seen many types of individuals, but David was definitely on the side that got on the man’s nerves.

Worst part was that it really not David’s fault. “Jesus Christ. What have I gotten myself into?” He rubbed his face, looking away from the repair bill for a moment. 

That wasn’t going to be the only bill he’ll be staring at today. A lot of the structures in the camp needs to be repaired or completely replaced. Especially the “tower” the girl Nerris hangs out in. It was not very stable and it could tip with strong enough winds. Granted, there were plenty of trees to take some of the brunt, but if it gets wet, chances are it will come down easily. Lawsuit, or a dead camper, if the worst case happens. The boy, Neil who wanted a science camp was going to continue to be disappointed with Camp Cambell. Even with his own influence, with no actual, safe lab building/room he couldn’t really get a wide variety of chemicals, although he was too young to deal with anything major anyway. On the bright side, however, he was able to get proper glassware and even a new Bunsen burner along with a few science textbooks. Then there was food and its storage, which needed a major update. The stoves were ready to come apart, there was no good fridge/freezer for meat, the dry goods are either stale or weren’t stored properly. New pipes to ensure clean water, better toilets and showers for hygiene. 

The bill wasn’t too bad.

To clarify, the bill was  _ real  _ bad for a camp with such a meager “budget” Campbell left them, but for someone who owns several factories, labs, mechanics, restaurants, and financial backing from both the US and several countries in Europe, it was spare change.

So, it's not too bad. Although David is making Enocente regret recent decisions. “Okay. Okay. Okay...” 

He got up, secretly regretting his decision to quit drinking, and made his way to their mess hall. Stopping in front of the doors, the noise of the apparent food fight could be heard. With a sigh, he opened the doors.

**Max**

David’s sad attempts to save Harrison from Nurf was amusing, no doubt about it, but Max couldn’t help but feel bitter about the man staying as a counselor, even if it _ is _ unofficially. The man seemed cool, if the bike was anything to go by, but then again, Max doubted anyone _ willingly _ staying here would actually be cool.

The door opening made everyone stop what they were doing and look at the man who looked even more agitated than Max was. He wasn’t wearing the leather jacket anymore, but the pants, boots and gloves were still on him. He had a black, long sleeve shirt that were a bit snug, showing he actually had muscles, mostly in his arms and chest, but enough to intimidate some of the smaller campers. A man with the attitude and appearance that says, “I will beat you to a pulp,” and the muscles to back it up was a bit much.

David was oblivious to everything, apparently. “Everyone, this is Mr. Vero! Mr. Vero, these are the campers.”

“David. What the fuck?” Max exclaimed. “This is who’s going to watch us? He’s a biker!”

“Holy, fucking shit!” Neil exclaimed.

Max gestured towards Neil victoriously. “See?!”

Neil ran up to the man, eyes sparkling. “Enocente Vero?! Right?! That’s you!”

Enocente took a hesitant step away from the frothing boy. “Yes… Enocente is my name.”

“Who?” Max asked.

“He’s a scientist! He’s responsible for creating better artificial organs, better engines, and is working are new limbs! Ones that work!” Neil rambled, never taking his eyes off the man.

“Supposedly.” He mumbled. “My degrees are in mechanical and bioengineering, specifically, but yes, I did those.”

“So are you making robot limbs?”

“I prefer prosthetics.” 

Neil flinched. “Oh, sorry!”

“Hold on!” Max yelled, catching everyone’s attention as he glared at David. “So in addition to you, we also got to deal with a full grown nerd, now?”

David stepped forward. “Now, Max, Mr. Vero has been funding Camp Campbell for years, and he may not look it on first glance, but he is an expert at not just science, but the outdoors! Tell him, Mr. Vero.”

Said man was looking at a tablet, frowning as Neil tried to look at what he was doing. “Uh huh.”

Max gave the man a closer look, noticing the belt had several pouches, along with small tools like screwdrivers and wrenches. He fit the engineer bit, but an outdoors man? If what they were saying was true, he was expecting him to prefer an air conditioned building, like Neil, not trekking through the woods.

“Okay, okay!” Enocente clapped his hands, frowning. “Look. I know that this place was not what you were expecting, and for that, I apologise, but I was not expecting this either.”

“So you relise this is a fucking scam?” Max crossed his arms, looking at the man, satisfied.

“I first funded this place when it was just a plain camp, but when I heard it was expanding, I increased yearly funding, so that by now, this place should have been capable of providing the services it offered.”

“What do you mean?” Gwen asked.

“That little island in the lake is owned by Campbell, and could have been used to create a lab, so it was away from the nature aspect. They could have installed a basic observatory for the space program they offer.”

He frowned, looking at his tablet. “The rest of you, who have signed for the magic, theater, adventure and other camp programs, could have had what you signed for here if they used my funding properly.”

David and Gwen exchanged worried looks. “What do you mean? The budget we have is hardly enough to cover food costs. That’s why we called you when the bus was damaged.”

“I have been giving you four thousand dollars every year, at a minimum.” He stared at them.

Gwen looked between the two men. “So, where is the money?”

“That’s what I want to know. That’s why I need your financial records for the camp. Taxes, bills, receipts for payments, bank statements that show the purchases, and any other paperwork that relates to finances. And your personal reports since they’re _ long _ overdue.”

“What reports?” Gwen asked.

“Your reports. For the camp. Of your financial need and such. How much money you receive and how much you ended up spending and how things are going.” He stared at the two. “You… you were supposed to do this every year. Both of you.”

David have an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, sir. But this is the first time hearing about this.”

“Cambell was supposed to… tell you. Fuck me, I’m such an idiot.” He looked down. “Do either of you know where he might keep his records or any other paperwork?”

The two shook their heads. “So, seems you were robbed.” Max smirked, looking up at the adult.

He snapped his head downward, pointing a glare at Max, who flinched. “So it would seem.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “So where is he?”

David smiled. “You missed him yesterday.” 

He nodded, not looking at the man. “Fuck this. Okay! Okay. I’ll fix this, then deal with him myself.”

“Well, I know this wasn’t what you were hoping for, but I know just what to do to make things better.”

Enocente sighed, then tried to smile. “I’m sure you do.”

They went outside and stood around a glass container that held a hamster, their mascot apparently. As David rambled on to the children Enocente noticed Max setting something up, which was infinitely more interesting. 

Max froze when he realised he was being watched by someone that seemed the type to stop him, not to mention they’re strangers. “What you making?”

“Nothing.” Max answered and started to write on the rock.

Max was so focused on the rock he failed to realise that Enocente moved closer. “Try this rope.”

Max looked over and saw the man holding a gray rope that was fairly shiny. “Why?”

Enocente examined the skeptical look, then pulled on either end of the rope, making it stretch. “It’s stronger and more elastic than that rope. Here.”

As the man knelt down and quickly replaced the rope and started to lower the catapult, using the rope to hold it back. “There. See?”

Max looked at it and before he can say anything, Enocente started to fiddle with the rest, adjusting the pieces. He even pulled a hammer from his belt and carefully put it on a can so it can fall on a piece of wood. Calm as can be, he inflated a balloon and placed it in one of the ramps, then placed the bowling ball Max dragged over to the top, carefully letting it rest against the balloon. Max felt himself grow excited. It was one thing to have Neil and Nikki help him, but this was an  _ adult! _ One that was supposed to be mature. Yet there he was, helping a kid he doesn’t know at all to set up a Rube goldberg contraption without questioning its purpose.

Max smirked then tried moving the rock, but it proved to be a bit too heavy. He grunted as he tried to make it budge, but wasn’t getting anywhere.

As he started to lose his grip, the rock was lifted from his hands. Enocente placed the rock into the catapult then moved away. “Looks neat, for a beginner.”

“Just wait.” Max said then cleared his throat, stopping David who was now holding the hamster.

As he set off the Rube goldberg machine, all the pieces falling exactly as they were supposed to, everyone stood in silence, eyes focused on the moving pieces. Finally, the bowling ball slowly rolled down and then pressed against the trigger, freeing the rope. Enocente flinched as the rock was launched towards David, only to feel slight relief when instead of taking off the man’s head, it instead hit the hamster, sending it flying to the middle of the lake.

Did the hamster scream? Enocente thought, glancing at Max who moved next to David.

“Aw, man…” Max fixed David a glare. “That was supposed to kill you.”

David whirled around, turning his gaze to Enocente, who watched the exchange with a blank look. “Um…”

Enocente looked at Max and gave a thumbs up, smirking. “Even though it was poor construction, it was well put together.”

“I think I can do better. Want to help?” Max grinned, but his eyes held the faintest sign of hesitation, regardless of the apparent approval.

There was a moment's pause before Enocente answered.

“I think I might like you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to offer constructive criticism. I enjoy getting feedback so I can improve my writing

#  Chapter 2: Building a wizard- er, sorceress’ tower.

**Enocente**

The following night and next morning was full of nothing but expense reports, bills, phone calls, and digging through a large, unorganized collection of documents, most of which were utterly useless. Enocente wanted nothing more than to punch Campbell then himself. Campbell because he’s obviously the reason this was happening, and himself for not noticing sooner. He was an idiot. 

Everything was pointing towards embezzlement. All of the okays from the people he sent down after an incident, and all of the subtle red flags he overlooked. 

“Damn.” He didn’t have the energy to yell, not mentally. He _ was  _ however, wide awake. “Alight.”

He set the papers down on his desk, and stood, taking a quick look at his “office”. One of the few things that did get the upgrade that was intended. The counselor cabin had its space increased, capable to comfortably house four people, each with their own office, bedroom and restroom. Basic, to be sure, but it was money well spent. Not in actuality, of course not, but considering everything else, it was.

“Good morning, Mr. Vero!” 

“Jesus save me.” Enocente turned his gaze toward the happy man with a look of disdain. “More papers?”

David smile got wider. “No, I have great news!”

“You finally got laid?” Enocente smirked, the comment making David blush.

“No! That’s not the good news. And for the record, I have experience with women.” He crossed his arms, face red, and feeling the need to defend himself.

The older man rolled his eyes. “Women you  _ pay _ don’t count.”

David started to stutter, getting even more red than before. “Mr. Vero! What you’re saying is highly inappropriate! What if a camper heard you?”

Enocente smirked and leaned close to David. “I’m not hearing a ‘no.’”

“I would never make a woman do such a… uh… degrading activity!” 

“So you  _ are _ a virgin, since I can’t imagine a woman would sleep with you unless you paid them, and I seriously doubt a pity fuck would be given to someone that would cry when they’re told they can’t cuddle afterwards.” Enocente was grinning, his previous headache gone.

“I didn’t say that! I said I would never make a woman do that.” David defended.

“But you have thought about it? Paying a woman to toss your salad?” Enocente took a step closer, and in a mock whisper said, “When you’re alone?”

“What?!” David stepped back, appalled. “N-no!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not judging. Do whatever makes you happy.” Enocente’s smirk got bigger. “And based off how happy you are, you  _ do _ think about it often.”

Loud laughter made the two adults turn to see Max, who was holding both his stomach and his mug of coffee, having heard everything. “Max! Mr. Vero, he shouldn’t hear that!”

“You worry too much. Can’t have fun if you act so strict.” The man stood by Max, smiling pleasantly at the boy.

Max calmed down enough to agree. “Yeah, David. Calm the fuck down.”

“Language. See, Mr. Vero? He’s picking up bad language.” David said weakly.

Enocente glanced at Max. “He already knew that one. I’m not teaching him anything _ new _ . When I talked to him to figure out what happened right before the bus accident, he said at one point, and I quote, ‘I told David to suck a dick.’”

Max laughed. “Yeah, I told him and I’d say it again. I’m practicing my right of free speech. I’m acting as a model citizen by exercising my individual rights. Why should I censor myself?”

Enocente nodded. “Some would reason for the sake of modesty, but you can’t get anywhere with modesty. Fuck modesty. And why should he censor himself, because  _ society _ doesn’t like it? Fuck society, too. It’s full of a bunch of prudes anyway.”

David visibly deflated. “Mr. Vero…”

“Besides, we have some orange thing in the white house now, bad language is the least of our concerns.”

“Sir!”

“Fine, fine. You started it.” A truck honked as it pulled up, drawing his attention. “There they are. Ahead of schedule, that is beyond perfect.”

The truck stopped near the tower Nerris frequents and several people got out, opening the back, showing the large amount of wood and stone. “What’s that?” 

Enocente glanced at David, then gestured towards the tower. “Regardless of my interests, David, I  _ am  _ an engineer, I’ve built buildings and other structures. I know bad infrastructure when I see it.”

“So you’re going to fix it?” David asked with a smile.

“Nope. Gonna tear the thing down and build something new.” He adjusted his gloves, making sure they were on properly.

David, curious, decided to ask, “What’s Nerris going to do while you’re building it?” 

Enocente snatched some large sheets of paper from a man as he walked up. “Have her come out here, explain what’s happening, and let her give me a rough idea of what to go for.”

“This should be interesting.” Max took a sip from his coffee.

A man set down a large box and opened it up, Enocente quickly digging inside, pulling out power tools. He made sure they were charged and had a small table set up, setting the tools and screws down. The men were stacking the wood to the side and unloading a few tools like saws and a sledgehammer. Enocente was looking at the building, mumbling to himself. He adjusted his harness and started to put screws in the pouches while attaching the drill to his belt.

Calmly, he grabbed one of the men and without taking his eyes off the building said, “Go make sure there wasn’t anything left behind by a camper.” 

After everything was cleared, the men got back into the ruck and left, leaving behind some rope and a large tarp. “What now?” Max asked.

Enocente picked up the sledgehammer. “We knock this fucker down.” He walked up to the side and wound up, only to be interrupted by a woman’s shrill whining.

“Mr. Vero!” David yelled and got in the way, making Enocente, who was mid swing, lean back to avoid smashing in David’s head and the momentum making him spin then fall over.

“God! David! You could have gotten your head caved in!” Enocente got up quickly, glaring at David. “ I do not want to go through all the work to hide your body and pin it on someone else.”

“That was kinda specific.” Max observed with a raised eyebrow.

Max got a very flat, “No comment.”

David raised his hands and tried to calm the man down. “Don’t you think we should make the plans first?”

“I  _ do  _ have a plan: knock it all down, start building, get plans and make the rest up as I go.” He started to raise the sledgehammer again, but David stopped him  _ again _ .

“You said Nerris can have a say in what it’s going to be. She isn’t even up yet, and she needs to have breakfast. So we’re going to wait.”

Enocnete gave the sad excuse of a man a deadpan look. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” 

He sighed loudly. “You go do that then.” The man placed the head of the sledgehammer on the ground and leaned on it, looking as agitated as he was earlier that morning

David walked away, pleased with the compromise. Max looked at the man and said, “You’re not actually going to listen-”

Enocente slammed the sledgehammer into the wall, taking out a chunk, startling Max. “Nope.”

Max sat on a stack of wood with a grin. “Sweet.” 

Enocente focused on the “foundation” of the tower, carefully planning where he was hitting, something Max missed entirely. Enocente’s eyes were focuses, more so than before. However, before he hit it again he stopped, then glanced at the watching boy with a curious look.

“Want to help?”

“Hell yeah!” Max jumped off the wood stack and accepted the offered hardhat with a smirk.

“Knew you would. You have that devious look in your eyes.”

**David**

Nerris was distraught, as David feared, but the prospect of getting a small cabin with an attached tower, in exchange for the tower she knew, which  _ she _ gets to design helped her feel so much better. David gave her the paper and pencils and watched with a smile as Nerris scribbled enthusiastically, clearly excited to get the tower she wanted.

David could faintly hear crashing from the tower, excusing himself he went back, and to his horror, Max was using a plain hammer to put holes into the side of the tower, a grin on his face. The tower was already missing a side and Max was standing next to the destroyed section. If the wall Max was hitting got too weak, the tower would surely come crashing down on top of the boy.

“Max! Stop!” David rushed over, quickly picked up the boy and moved him away. “That’s dangerous.”

Enocente groaned, still leaning on the sledgehammer. “What? He’s wearing a helmet.” 

David looked down and sure enough, Max was wearing a hard hat. “Look, I am trying to be supportive, but this isn’t a job for a kid.” He stressed.

“Hitting things can help release stress, like using a punching bag.” The man looked at the tower. “Besides, he’s only places holes in a spot I’m going to hit, then he steps back. He’s in no danger.”

“Yeah, he makes me stand far away on the other side.” Max grumbled, eager to be released. 

“He’s helping me by making it weaker than it already is. Let the boy have fun.” Enocente walked to the tower and got into position. “Stand back, it will fall after this one is down.”

Max squiremed out of David’s grip and moved off to the side so he was away from where it would fall and still have a good view. The tower shook violently as Enocente hit it, taking out a chunk of the wall. With one last hit, Enocente moved next to the two and watched as the tower began to creak.

“There it goes.” The man rested the sledgehammer over his shoulder, the faintest sign of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

The three watched as the tower fell over, the resulting impact making the ground shake a bit, and each had their own reactions to the sight. Enocente looked content with his work so far, Max looked pleased with the destruction he had a hand in, and David looked apprehensive. 

“Did you really enjoy that, Max?” The boy looked up at the man with a raised brow.

“What’s not to like?” He answered with a shrug.

“Even if there’s going to be a new one, that tower was special to Nerris.”

Max glared at David. “Do you have to take all of the fun out of this?”

Enocente watched silently, his eyes focused on the two. “Would you feel the same way if something if the tower, say, burned down after it was finished?”

“Yes!” Max snapped angrily at the man, making Enocente focus his dark eyes on him. “If it wasn’t destroyed now, I would have burned the damn thing down.” 

“You don’t mean that, Max”   
  


“I do! Just to prove to you that I hate this place and everything in it.” Max crossed his arms, his eyes locked onto David’s.

Said man tried to keep his smile. “You say that, Max, but I know you really love this place. And who wouldn’t?”

Enocente kept his thoughts to himself, though they made his eye twitch. Still, his eyes kept looking between the two, expression blank.

“For fuck’s sake! What do I have to do to make you understand?!” The boy gripped his hair angrily, looking ready to tear it out. “I. Hate. This. Place!”

David tried to keep his smile up, but the anger on the boys face was bothering him. The colorful language he was used to, even the attitude, but this was starting to bother him. He was certain that he wouldn’t really burn down the tower if it was left alone, but the look on his face was leaving little doubt Max was getting close to doing more than just the usual pranks.

“I think there has been enough excitement for one morning.” Enocente intervened, his voice even and his eyes more “open” than usual. “Why not have the campers learn how to cook food and boil water over a fire?”

“What an excellent idea, Mr. Vero! Come on, Max!” David turned to walk away, completely missing Enocente giving Max a light push in his direction.

“Whatever.” The boy grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Enocente faced his body towards the ruined tower, but kept his eyes trained on their retreating forms. “That fire is starting to grow, little boy.”

Max glanced back, but the man had moved away and was breaking the drywall into smaller pieces so he can clear the area easier. 

David managed to get his usual happiness back as he instructed the campers how to boil water from the lake to make it safe and how to cook meat, although it quickly turned into a lesson on how to start a fire, along with fire safety. All of which was fine with David, of course. Several lessons in one? What’s not to love?

Everything, Max would most likely say, but David wouldn’t let that stop him, and he didn’t much to the boy’s irritation. 

Nerris had already given her design to Enocente and she seemed excited, because all throughout the lesson, they all could hear the sound of power tools, which is the unmistakable sound of construction.

David left the kids to Gwen to check on the progress and saw that in the few hours he’s been working, Enocente got the foundation set and had most of the framing up minus the roof.

Enocente glanced his way and walked over. “I still need to get drywall for the insides along with some paint, and shingles for the roof, but most of it should be done by tonight. Tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”

“Won’t that be expensive?” David asked.

The other man shrugged. “The framing is just pine. The outer walls are ash, which isn’t too pricey. The foundation was a pain since it needs to be strong, but it’s not too bad.”

“But still.” David responded, feeling bad the man was spending so much.

“Do you want something that will last for longer than five years, or something you’ll need to replace after five years?” He wiped sweat off his forehead. “I’m taking a break. Keep the kids away.”

The man walked off, leaving David to look at the frame of what’s to be Nerris’ new tower, along with the small building built in. David could almost see campers gathering inside for the game she plays religiously when the weather is bad, only because he fails to notice that only Nerris seems interested in D&D.

David couldn’t help but wonder what to do with the man. He wasn’t like Cameron Campbell, not in the slightest. His mind was on the numbers and angles, not the wonders of their unique camp, or even nature. He was quick to anger when things don’t go how he wanted, which David is trying to be open minded, considering that he’s been giving them money to make improvements. Now the man is taking control of everything and is doing things his way, and gets angry when others interfere. That’s not what Camp Campbell is about!

Now if only he could say that to the man. 

**Max**

Although having to deal with David is never a great thing, getting to play with fire made it bearable. Fortunately for Max’s improved mood, he didn’t come back, so Gwen said they would wait until the last few campers finish up their food before leaving. Sadly Dolph was taking his time cooking the meat, and until they were done, she couldn’t put out the fires since she didn’t trust them not to set everything on fire if she left them alone. So, there they were, Max, Neil, and Nikki waiting around the fire that was already put out, not allowed to leave until Gwen is, as some sort of punishment complaining about being left in her care.

“Hey, Max, look! Neil’s the only one to burn his meat.” Nikki laughed while pointing at the other boy.

Neil turned red and looked at his charred meat. “How was I supposed to know it would be this flammable?”

Max snickered. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that if you stick something into a fire it’ll catch fire. Thought you were the smart one.”

“S-shut up!” Neil looked down. “It wasn’t even  _ in _ the fire.”

Nikki grinned, rolling her eyes and shrugging. “ _ Sure _ .” 

“It wasn’t!” The boy retorted, face getting more red.

Max leaned back on the log and watched the show with a smirk. “It was, Neil. I saw it. I was here, too.”

“Come on, guys.” Neil whined

“Okay.” Nikki relented, still smiling. She glanced at Max. “You were hanging out with that biker guy, right? What’s he like?”

“He’s not a biker!” Neil broke out of his minor stupor quickly to defend the man. 

“Okay, Neil.” Nikki remained unfazed by the outburst. “So is he cool, or is he a nerd like Neil?”

“He’s okay. He’s actually more like an engineer, so he cares more about building things from scratch.”

“Is he using power tools?” Nikki asked excitedly, and when Max nodded, she got even more excited. “Think he’ll let us borrow them?”

“I doubt it. He’s not as uptight as David, but he still values safety, so unless he’s supervising us, he won’t just let us borrow them.” Max felt a bit disappointed by that, but knew that if they really wanted to use those tools, they’ll find a way to get them.

“But he helped you launch the last camp mascot to spooky island.” Nikki looked at Max

“He didn’t know what I was trying to do. He just helped because he couldn’t help it.” Max shrugged, glancing in the direction where Enocente was working. “I think he’s a perfectionist.”

Neil spoke up, moving closer to the two. “Improving the designs of others is what engineers do, in all fields. I hear in high school robotics classes, it’s something that’s encouraged.”

“So the teacher doesn’t care if you steal someone else’s idea?” Nikki asked. 

Neil shook his head, raising his hand, single finger up, and “nerd mode” activated. “No, especially if you learn something, and it can help you think of new, unique ideas. All the best scientists  _ and _ engineers do that. And Enocente is one of the best.”

Nikki lost interest while Max nodded, understanding why the man helped a bit better, but he still had doubts. An expert not being able to bear the sight of an amateurs design? Yeah, he could see that. An expert helping after seeing a makeshift catapult aimed in the general direction of another person, with a large rock as ammo? Not so much.

Max got up after getting the go ahead from Gwen to leave, and decided to go see what Enocente was doing, not really feeling like listening to Neil gush over science crap. Seeing the framing for the new tower thing was interesting, especially since it started that day. Then again, there isn’t going to be any electrical wiring or plumbing, but it was still impressive one person did that in just a few hours. 

“How’s it look?” 

Max jumped, spinning to see Enocente standing next to him, blank stare still in place and sunglasses hiding his eyes. “Jesus! Don’t do that!”

He laughed softly, sounding pleased with himself. “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” 

The boy glared at the man, but there was no real hate behind it. “Guess Mexicans really are good workers.” 

“That’s why we aren’t going nowhere. These people ain’t doing the work themselves. That reminds me, my phone’s been acting up. Think you can take a look at it?” 

Max blinked, then when it hit him he snorted. “And what exactly is the problem you are currently experiencing?” The heavy, exaggerated accent made the man chuckle.

“Okay, don’t need people getting offended.” He glanced at you, but Max doesn’t realise it.

“It looks like you’re almost done.” Max observed, fairly able to see what the clubhouse will look like when finished, shape wise.

“Almost. I should be able to get most of the outside done soon, but the insides will have to wait. Maybe the floor if I work hard enough.” The man accessed, the last bit mumbled.

Max took a close look. “Why not do the floor now?”

“There’s a chance for rain.” The boy nodded, glancing up. “Although, now that I think about it, I could use the tarp to cover it. At least I can do the roof in the morning. It’s starting to get a bit dark.”

Clouds were overhead and the sun was blocked. “Not really.” Max didn’t really consider what they had as dark.

“Maybe I’ve spent too much time in the lab?” Enocente mumbled to himself. “Optimal lightings messed me up.” He hummed, not really speaking to Max. 

Weird guy. Max thought, noticing the man’s hand twitching a bit.

Enocente snorted, which turned into soft laughter. “I’m an idiot. Sunglasses.” He showed took them off and tucked them away. “Why was I wearing them? Heh. So, you all done for the day?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. We just learned how to use a fire to boil water and cook meat.” Max answered nonchalantly. 

Enocente nodded and started to gather the wood that would be the floorboards. He placed them down on the wood boards along the wood joists and used the drill to put in the screws. Max watched as he put in the boards, using one hand to hold the board tight against the last, and the other to drill in the screw. The boy noticed he stopped when it made a noise, the drill spinning in his hands a bit, before he moved on to the next screw. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t hire people to build this for you. Could have been done by now.” Max commented.

“Sure, but I like building things myself.” The responded.

Max raised an eyebrow. “You  _ like _ working?”

The man stopped, shaking his head. “I like doing things myself.  _ I  _ own a big corporation that uses computers all the time, but I’m not the best with computers, so when something goes wrong,  _ someone else _ does it for me.”

Enocente rolled his shoulder. “Buildings  _ I _ design are all made of metal, so people in metal factories  _ make _ the metal, and people in cranes _ put _ that metal in place.”

“Even the new hearts we made, the new one I designed, the parts are  _ made by other _ people. Put together by  _ other people _ , and put into someone by  _ other people _ .  _ I _ used to. Now _ I _ don’t.” 

He sighed. “I don’t get to  _ do _ much myself. _ I _ built my own home, and a lot of the things I’m known for, the best things, all came from my workshop in my home, made with  _ my  _ hands.”

“A lot of people would kill to have everything done for them. I would.” Max smirked at the idea of being waited on.

“And all those people will find no satisfaction, for the only achievements gained through your own, personal effort brings about a pleasure unlike any other.” The man looked at the boy. 

“That’s just me, though, so…” He shrugged.

“That’s dumb.” Max said dismissively. The man looked down, letting out a breath. Max blinked, surprised that he seemed so put down by his comment. Had he been David, it would have been great.

But he isn’t David.

“You want to help?” The man didn’t look annoyed like Max thought, but a bit… worried?

Max realised the man was waiting for him to answer, so he shrugged. “I guess. I want something back for this. I’ll settle for cash.”

The man looked relieved, briefly, before the blank look came back, making Max worry a bit that he said something wrong. “Alright. Come here and hold it like I am.”

For the next half hour, Enocente helped Max hold the drill properly and screw in the boards. Enocente placed them and held them down tight, while Max used the drill. Several times he dropped the drill when the screw went in all the way, and he lost his grip when it spun in his hand. Max was worried he would get in trouble, but Enocente never seemed bothered by it. In fact, he seemed to be in a better mood, smiling here and there, even tossing a teasing joke his way. It would seem that not only does he like working with his hands, but also having someone to work with.

After the floorboards were put into place, they got to work on the walls, taking short breaks with Enocente getting them some water. Enocente used a saw to cut the boards a bit, and after putting them in, Max could see that they were windows with a rounded top. Max had taken off his sweater, starting to get too warm and finding he didn’t care who was around. Enocente did the same with his shirt, but he was wearing a muscle shirt underneath, so he was still covered. Max was curious about the harness he was wearing, knowing that some were for the tools, but a few pouches he couldn’t think of what could be inside. Those thoughts were brushed aside as Enocente set another board into place. They even got started on the tower, which was bigger than the last, so by the time they were done, it was getting dark. Enocente put the tarp up over the main part and secured it into place while Max put the tools away.

Max sat down, using a rag to wipe sweat off his face. “Can’t believe you made me do all this work. For nothing!”

“I like to think of it as a team building exercise.” The man responded, clearly in a better condition than the boy, even though he was also sweating. He was currently on his phone.

“It’s child labor!” Max cried.

“Yup. Welcome to America and all its loopholes.” He sat down next to Max, right on the steps they put in. “How you feeling, squirt?”

“Shitty.” 

Enocente chuckled. “Good. Means you actually worked hard. When you work hard, work up a good sweat, then shower off and get into a nice soft bed, ah, life couldn’t be better.”

Max sent a sideways glare at the man. “We only got cheap cots. We don’t have beds.”

“Well,  _ I  _ got a nice soft bed in my living space, and that’s all that matters.” He leaned back, letting out a breath.

“Asshole.”

“Little shit.”

“Hairy old man.”

Enocente chuckled then smirked at Max. “Jealous, little man?”

“Of that hair, no. It looks more like a sad attempt at an afro to me.” Max retorted.

Enocente’s hair, which was swept back earlier, was now not so neat and puffed out in several spots after sweating. “Pssh, bitch,  _ you _ got a baby afro going on, I got  _ waves _ .” He ran his hand over his hair dramatically.

Max felt himself laugh, surprising the two of them. Guess working himself ragged was making him delirious. “Do my ears deceive me, or did the bitter Max just laugh?”

“No, you’re just imagining things since you went senile. Don’t feel bad, it’s expected in your old age.” Max said easily, cheeks a bit more red from more than just work.

“Okay, okay.”

The two sat in peaceful silence, looking up at the sky. Most of the clouds moved on, but they could see some creeping their way. Regardless, it was fairly clear and the two were content to look at the stars while they had a chance. Max wouldn’t admit it, but it was nice to be able to just do nothing and not have to worry about David’s happy delusions, or the noise of the other campers. If David had tried this, he would have left the moment the work was done, if he did any work at all.

But it isn’t David. Not Gwen. 

It was Enocente, an enigma, if Max only knew what that word meant.

He wasn’t trying to force Max to be happy or even to do anything. He made sure it was Max’s choice. That’s the difference. If Max said no, he would most likely have gone back to work, happy to just be doing something himself, as he said he did. He didn't mind the language and was capable of taking a joke and sending some back, and no they weren’t the best, Max would admit, but he clearly has a sense of humor. Max didn’t get that with David, or the other campers. The racial one would probably been a bit much for Neil and Nikki, and, with a moment to think about it, was a big gamble on his part, especially with recent events, but the man shot right back, a smile on his face.

“There he is!” Max shot up, expecting to see David, but instead there was a car with a man getting out.

The man handed Enocente a piece of paper, which he signed, then opened the bag he was carrying, pulling two pizzas out and handing them over. “Here you are, sir.”

Enocente waved the man over, and pulled out his wallet, fishing out a five. “Danke schoen. Here’s a tip.” 

The man smiled. “Thank you.” He glanced at Max. “Helping your old man out, young man?”

“Unfortunately.” Max responded, making the man laugh.

“My son says the same thing. You two have a good night, now.”

Enocente kept silent as the man left, eyeing his retreating form. He didn’t say anything or move, and his breathing stopped. “Uh, the pizza, please.” Max tugged on the man’s harness.

Enocente blinked then sat down opening one of the boxes after handing Max the other. They were just smalls so it wasn’t too much. “I can afford a cheat day.”

Max glanced at the man. “You’re in better shape than David. Some pizza won’t kill ya.”

“Wasn’t always the case. I was quite big when I was young.” The man admitted, unashamed of the fact.

“Really?” Max asked with a mouth full of greasy pizza.

“Five ft four, and a bit over 200lbs. Yeah, I was big.” He chuckled at the memory, reminiscing at how simple things used to be.

Max hummed, not able to really picture it, but there was pizza that needed to be eaten and he wasn’t going to disappoint. The boy practically inhaled the food, which was a hundred times better than the slop the quartermaster served, while Enocente folded his down the middle and ate at a more casual rate. Eventually Max finished his and noticed Enocente has stopped, three slices left.

Without a word, Enocente handed Max his leftovers, watching out of the corner of his eye as the boy wolfed down the food. “I wish you luck later when you need to take a shit.”

Max rolled his eyes. “Worth it.” Grease and tomato sauce was all over his face, and his sloppy eating wasn’t helping. “What the fuck?”

Enocente had grabbed a rag and used it to wipe Max’s mouth when he finished his last slice. The man looked equally startled. “S-sorry. I have no idea why I did that.”

“You’re not my mom.” Max stated, looking at the empty pizza boxes with longing, wishing there was more, missing the odd look that crossed the man’s face.

“But you were just so filthy, and it was the rag or the hose.” Enocente retorted. 

“Good luck with that.” Max got up and put on his sweater. 

“Ah, ah, ah. That better not be sass, young man.” 

Max rolled his eyes, grinning a bit. “Yes,  _ mom _ .”

Enocente stared at Max for a moment, then, without being provoked, ruffled the boy’s hair. Max swatted the man’s hands away. “Your hair is really soft. ” 

“What the fuck, man?” Max asked, face regaining some red hue to it.

Enocente lunged forward and trapped Max in a crushing hug, rubbing his face against his head. “It’s like hugging a sheep.”

“Stop it!” Max struggled to get out of his grasp, but was unable to break free from the strong arms holding him.

“Don’t tell your mother to stop. I’m just showing you how much I wuv you!” The man said in baby talk, grinning widely.

“If you don’t put me down, right now, I will cut off your foreskin while your sleeping!” Max threatened.

“Too late, I am Jewish” The man replied with an accent.

Max felt his face turn completely red, even though he had the urge to laugh, he had street cred to protect, danit. “Put me down!” 

Enocente dropped him, letting him fall on his ass. “Fine, fine. You win this round, shorty, but I’ll be back.”

Max quickly pulled on his hood to hide his blush and walked off angrily. “Whatever. I’m going to sleep.”

**Enocente**

After picking up and heading back to his office/room, the man sat down at his desk, opened a box that was sitting under it and pulled out some lined paper. He started writing while tapping his foot rapidly. He leaned back and reread the words he just put on paper. 

“Activity log PA-0367: Built the tower and club house for the girl, Nerris, with some help. Still some work to do. It was fun.”

Enocente crossed the last bit out so “it was fun” couldn’t be seen. He wrote some more words then once again reread them. He raised his pen to cross the words out, but stopped.

_ Don’t get involved _ . He thought and crossed out the words, only to rewrite them right below.  _ You can’t overlook the details anymore. _

“He worked up a sweat and removed the sweater he usually wears, showing more of his body. From a glance, the shirt appears a size too big, but comfortably so. However, the boy, Max, appears malnourished and sported a ravenous hunger.”

Enocente capped the pen and got up, pulling out a briefcase out from under his bed. He unlocked it and pulled out an orange bottle, opened it and shook out a pill. He stared at it before looking towards a dark corner of the room, his breathing picking up. He put the pill in his mouth and rushed into the small bathroom to get water. After washing it down he showered and got ready to sleep. 

As he entered the room, wearing just a muscle shirt and sweats, he glanced at the corner again. “Nothing, again. Of course, it’s always nothing.” 

He was about to turn off the light when he looked at the paper. Staring at it with a clear head, he grabbed the pen and wrote one last thing down before turning off the light.

“Must investigate further.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some yelling at for Gwen and David, bear in mind, I like these two so it's not from me it's from the character

#  Chapter 3: Mingle with the wild and the zit afflicted.

**Max**

Some people start their day with breakfast and/or coffee, with going on just coffee for those who are in a rush. Max was one of those people who preferred coffee, especially since the breakfast was inedible at best, but he was in no rush. 

Most days, his mug would be right next to his cot so he could grab it after getting dressed, but on this particular day, it was nowhere to be seen. Confused, Max got ready and started his search for his mug, not wanting to scavenge for another one. As he approached the mess hall, wondering if he left it there when the realization hit him. 

He left his mug by the construction site after he helped Enocente. “Damnit.” 

The moment he reached the edge of the construction area, the sound of a drill assaulted the boy’s ears. He spotted the little clubhouse and was surprised to see it nearly complete. The tower had all four sides and the house had most of the roof now. Enocente was crouched atop the roof, putting the last couple boards into place. 

“Do you ever sleep?” Max asked incredulously.

The man glanced his way. “Yes, but I usually wake up early.”

“How?” Max found the whole concept ridiculous. 

The man drilled in another screw before responded. “I like to get work done as soon as possible. Early rise means more time to work.”

The boy raised an eyebrow. “But you’re getting less sleep.”

“Sometimes you gotta work hard before you get to be lazy.” Enocente finished the last board and climbed down. “You’re mug is right there.” He pointed.

Max looked to where he pointed, spotting his mug, a bit dirty since he didn’t rinse it out yesterday, for obvious reasons, and retrieved it. “Thanks. So how long until that’s done?”

“Just need shingles, windows and drywall, which should be here by noon. So, not much longer, maybe tomorrow after it gets painted.” Enocente observed his work.

Max hummed and then made his way back to the mess hall to get coffee, managing to swallow the food the quartermaster served with the help of the coffee. David tried to get everyone to learn how to select bait based on what fish they were going after. This caused some groans, especially from Neil, who despises anything that isn’t a science. Max opted out of that crap and decided to wander around, not really caring where he was going, so long as he didn’t have to do anything.

It was around noon when a truck pulled up again, and just like before, men unloaded supplies and Enocente got to work, starting with the roof. By the time Max walked by, he had most of the drywall screwed into place, some white paste into the spots where the screws were at.

“What’s the paste for?” 

“When the screws go in all the way, there’s a small indent, so I put this paste in to fill it, flatten it out and it’ll harden. Once it’s hard I will sand it out so it’s flat, even with the wall so I can paint it.” Enocente didn’t stop once while he explained, his hands moving in a practiced motion.

Max watched for a bit, glancing around, seeing the thin door that led into the tower, which was the same as the double door, with an arch design, at the entrance of the clubhouse. The table that had held the plans for everything was now in the center of the room, several wood chairs around it, along with some buckets of paint, still sealed. It would appear Enocente is repurposing the table for Nerris’ D&D games. It was nice, the little clubhouse, even if it was supposed to be a gathering place for nerds, Max could see himself using a place like this to get away for awhile. 

Enocente was looking at the boy, having finished spreading the filler paste, his eyes accessing. “David already finished with you?”

“Nope.” Max answered.

“Playing hooky?” 

“Yup.” Enocente laughed softly at the blunt response. 

Enocente started painting, using mostly gray and blue to imitate the stone that Nerris prefered her “fortress” to be made from. He avoided the spots that had the filler, which was still wet, and got most of the room done, spreading it in a way that kept it from dripping to the floor, yet putting enough layers. It took a bit over an hour of nonstop work. After he finished the two sat in the chairs, just enjoying the peace and quiet. Max’s stomach interrupted their respite with a loud rumble, making the boy blush. 

“I think it’s time to get something to eat. I guess you agree?” Enocente got up, leading the way to the mess hall.

Max got the pleasure of seeing and hearing the quartermaster getting chewed out by Enocente, who found his cooking abilities unsuitable for animals. “He’s really going at it.”

Neil nodded in agreement. “He hates incompetence.” 

“Is that a scientist thing?” Max asked.

“I think it has more to do with owning a large business, which took a long time and work to build, not to mention maintain.” Neil explained. “It takes a lot of work to keep a business going.”

“Plus, he just found out someone’s been stealing his money, so I’m guessing he’s on a short fuse.” Neil glanced towards the kitchen after hearing a loud crash. 

The two boys sat in contemplation, watching as the quartermaster was kicked out of the kitchen, not noticing the arrival of Nikki, who was covered in an extra layer of dirt. She plopped right down next to Max, the beginnings of her signature grin creeping on her face.

“You should have stayed for the activity today, Max. It was so cool!” The girl exclaimed.

Max scoffed. “I don’t believe that for one second.”

“She’s not kidding.” Neil explained. 

Nikki was practically jumping in her seat in excitement. “Space Kid got two hooks caught in his thumb!”

Max blinked. “Two? How the hell did that happen?”

Neil actually laughed at the memory, despite the blood. “He got one in then thought he'd get it out with another hook.” 

The three laughed, Max wishing he saw it, but still glad to still have an easy day. As Neil and Nikki chatted, filling Max in on a few more funny things, like Nurf tossing Harrison into the water, and then David when he tried to intervene. As they were talking, the smell of something good started to drift from the kitchen and right into their noses.

“Oh, I smell something great.” Nikki stated, pointing her face up, sniffing loudly. She left the table and, like a dog, she sniffed along the ground until she reached the doorway of the kitchen. “In here!”

Neil rolled his eyes, then sighed. “Nikki. It’s food. Of _ course  _ it’s coming from the kitchen.”

The three peered inside and spotted Enocente cooking burgers on the stove, looking annoyed. “Should be done in a few minutes. Waiting on the mashed potatoes.”

The three gaped, just astonished, at the prospect of  _ real _ food. After being shooed out of the kitchen, the three sat impatiently as the rest of the campers to come in. Eventually, Enocente called them up and passed out trays with burgers, mashed potatoes, and green peas. The mess hall, for once, was actually peaceful, in comparison to the usual crap that was going on. No bullying, no arguments, and no throwing of food, all because the kids were too busy devouring the tasty food in front of them. Max, along with several others, had to take a breath, having stopped breathing to shove food in their mouths. Enocente walked around, passing out sodas, which gained many appreciative comments.

However, the good mood was not to last…

Neil had been giving Max weird looks throughout the time they’ve been talking, and it was starting to annoy him. “What?” 

“Are… um, are you feeling okay?” Neil looked a bit uncomfortable, which bothered Max more than he’d like.

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

Neil shifted in his seat, raising his hands. “Nothing. It’s just that you’ve been acting kinda… weird.”

Nikki nodded. “Yeah, weird.”

Max narrowed his gaze, looking between the two, searching for a sign of a joke, but finding none. “Okay, could you two just spit it out already? It’s starting to annoy me.”

“Well, so far you haven’t swore once today.” Neil finally answered.

Nikki blinked, followed by a look of realization. “Yeah! That’s what was weird. You haven’t said shit or fuck!”

“Language, Nikki!” David had entered the mess hall, undetected, with Gwen and quickly slid right on down next to Max. “It just warms my heart to see everyone enjoying themselves.”

“Well, no one’s tied to the fan, at least.” Gwen agreed, looking relieved, but ready for some kind of bullshit to start.

“So, what are you three talking about?” David asked, his eyes bright.

“Max not swearing.” Nikki answered.

Neil added, “Yeah, he actually seems to be in a good mood for once.”

“Really?” Gwen asked suspiciously, earning a glare from the boy in question.

David turned his gaze to max, all sparkles. “Did you finally realize what an amazing place this is?” 

Max swallowed the food in his mouth, glaring daggers at David. “Fuck off, David. I’m trying to eat.”

“Max’s back.” Nikki stated.

Neil made a face at the man. “Good job. You stopped Max from being happy.” 

“David. Gwen.” The two adults turned to see Enocente standing in the doorway of the kitchen, barely able to keep his expression neutral. “Come here. Now.” 

David, not sensing the tension, stood with a smile. “Oh! I am just grateful that you-”

The man cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “In the kitchen, David, Gwen.  _ Now _ .” 

As the counselors entered the kitchen, the campers started to file out of the mess hall, having finished their food. Max was going to follow Neil and Nikki out when he heard the voice of Enocente, who was speaking in a low, but angry tone, with both Gwen and David sounding surprised. Curiosity getting the better of him, Max crept over to the doorway and peered inside, spotting the adults. Enocente was wearing latex gloves, fixing an expression at the other two, his rage barely suppressed.

  
  
  


Enocente gestured to one of the stoves. “Look at this, you two. How long has this been going on?”

Gwen gagged, placing a hand over her mouth. “That’s disgusting.”

“I thought the same thing. So you think so too? Huh.” It was obvious to Max he was pissed. “And yet… this has been happening for a while.”

“What makes you say that?” David asked.

“I didn’t use this stove. Yet the grease feels  _ hard. _ I had a stove like this once, when I left for a few days. It was not this disgusting. This has been sitting here long enough to grow a  _ beard _ .”

Gwen sighed, slouching. “Look, I’m sorry, but maintaining the kitchen and most utilities is the quartermaster’s job.”

This was the wrong response, if Enocente’s tone was anything to go by. “So it’s the quartermaster’s responsibility? That’s why neither of you, when you have spare time, didn’t check to see if the stoves needed to be cleaned?”

David hesitantly answers, “…Yes?” 

Enocente smiled, his face the picture of happiness, which scared the observing boy. “Then that leaves one question, David.”

David smiled, the fake smile making him relax. “And what’s that, Sir?”

Enocente took in a breath. “Is the quartermaster fucking senile?! Look at this mess! Do you two even realise how bad this is? The build up of old, nasty grease is messing with the equipment, and the pans has old food that just  _ refuses  _ to come off. I had to scrape it off with a knife!”

David tried to calm the man with an explanation, failing to realise it wouldn’t help. “The quartermaster has a lot to do around the camp, and he forgets sometimes.”

“Sometimes? Look at this. It’s as had as a rock! That isn’t ‘sometimes,’ understand? Look at this! Look around! Just what kind of fucking story are you trying to sell me?!” His anger was winning.

David backed away from the man’s growing rage. “Sir, we trust the quartermaster-”

Enocente interrupted. “Trust is not a good excuse to not maintain the utilities of your camp! This is not only bad for the equipment, but the campers!” 

“It’s not too bad…” David’s meek response bothered Max.

_ God, he’s really not holding back. _ Max thought.

“Not too bad?! Look at this! Look at everything in this place! Look at this vermine breed ground. It’s fucking disgusting! How the hell do you operate like this?!” He snapped.

Max moved back, making sure he couldn’t be seen, and from the new position, he couldn’t see the man’s expression, but he could see Gwen’s. She looked scared. “Look, we’re understaffed and tired-”

“I’m done listening to your bullshit! So you’re tired, boo fucking hoo. It’s your job to ensure the wellbeing of the campers. Do you understand what that means?”

David tried to answers. “Yes, we do, but-”

“Do you? Because it sure as hell doesn’t look like it to me. Not one bit! The wellbeing is their safety, their health, not just happiness. So tell me, is this what ensuring the campers wellbeing looks like?”

“N-no…” David looked down, his voice getting smaller and smaller.

Enocente didn’t let up. “So, after  _ years  _ of working here, only now do you realize this?” 

Gwen stepped forward to defend him. “Look, I know this is fucked, but you shouldn’t be so harsh on David. He actually tries to make up for this by making the kids happy.”

“Gwen…” David looked at the woman with the smallest smiles, feeling warm.

The moment didn’t last. “Do you think the kids would be happy with this? This isn’t sanitary. Even the daftest of them would refuse to eat anything after seeing this. Would you eat off of this? Would you?!”

“Sir-”

“Would you?!” Enocente wasn’t going to back down, his breaths coming out ragged.

“No-”

“No! No one should have to eat anything from something like this! None of you checked the equipment to see if it works, you didn’t listen to the complaints of the campers and failed to follow up the reports.”

Gwen tried to placate him with some logic. “Look, sir, it’s under the pans when he cooks. I know the pans could use a good scrubbing, but that doesn’t get into the food. It’s just near it while cooking.”

It did  _ not  _ work. 

“Near? Near. Okay. Here.” Enocente ran his gloved hand under the burner, and held up a clump of slimy,  _ fuzzy  _ grease for them to see. “Would you want that near your food? Would you?!”

“No…” David looked down, the yelling actually breaking his usual happy personality, making him look more like a scolded child.

“No one would want this… shit anywhere near them, let alone their food! If this built up anymore, any food made on this stove would be toxic!” He exclaimed, tossing the clump down with a sickening splat.

After he dropped the grease, a bug came skittering out of it. “Look! Fucking-! God. Damn. COCKROACH!” He raised his foot and stomped on the bug, his boot smashing it easily.

“Not only is this a huge health violation, it’s a major health hazard. I feel sick just standing here!” He continued his yelling, his voice starting to leave.

David noticed this, and tried to plead one last time. “We’ll clean this up, Sir. Right now. So, please, calm down.”

There was a moment’s pause, which felt like an eternity for not only David and Gwen, but Max. Eventually Enocente answered. “You better, or so help me, getting fired will be the least of your concerns, understand?”

He started to walk past them, his voice weak and raspy from all the yelling. “And while I have you here, the other stove needs to be replaced. The grease got into the works, and it’s not safe to use.”

Enocente walked out the kitchen, not noticing he nearly ran into Max, who felt even more uncomfortable at seeing the man’s blank expression than when he was yelling. It was a surprise to the boy, especially since he seemed fairly level headed and even soft spoken when they were around each. Max shrugged the uneasy feeling, remembering what Neil said, and finding more merit for it.

His mind made up, Max left and joined the others, who were wondering where the counselors were, since there was supposed to be another small activity. When he was asked, Max said they were discussing some management stuff. 

**Enocente**

It was fubar, the entire situation was fubar. Well, that’s the pessimist in him talking, but he was never one to back down from a challenge. Even though he  _ really  _ wants to.

He retrieved another pill and took it, using water to wash it down, resisting the urge to get more afterwards. It always feels so dry after he takes one, no matter how much and what kind of drink he uses. Water, soda, juice, hell, even back when he used to drink alcohol never made it easier.

Hearing high pitched tweeting, Enocente looked over at his desk, taking notice of the hungry cries of the baby birds he found the other day. He retrieved the container of worms and used a mortar and pestle to crush them up. With that done, he used metal chopsticks to feed the birds.

A soft knock interrupted the birds’ mealtime. “Come in.”

The door opened and a boy walked in, and the man raised an eyebrow at his outfit. “Um, could you help me with some magic tricks I’m practicing? Gwen and David are too busy to help.”

_Magic…_ Enocente quickly put the new face to the name on the records and its corresponding activity. “Okay, give me a moment, Harrison.”

The boy eyed the birds. “You have pet birds?”

“No, I just found the nest on the ground. Must of got knocked down by something, maybe wind, or a bigger bird that tried to get them.” He answered.

Enocente ushered him over and put a worm in the mortar. “Try feeding them. Crush the worm then use the chopsticks to feed them.”

“Crush them?” Harrison asked.

“Yes. Unless you’d prefer to chew them in your mouth then feed them that way.” The man was smiling, albeit a small one.

“Oh… Okay.” Harrison did as he was told, but struggled to hold the worm food, having never used chopsticks before.

“Here. Like this.” Enocente gently took the boy’s hands and showed him how to hold them, patiently moving him through the motions.

Harrison eventually got the hang of it and actually started to smile when the birds would hold their heads up and open their mouths when he moved closer. Eventually, Enocente deemed them full and walked with the boy to his area, which was a small stage.

The man had figured he needed an assistant, but apparently needed some help with doing a solo trick. The trick was, at first glance, to run hands through water in a tank and goldfish would appear.

“I guess you don’t know too much about magic, do you?” Harrison asked, feeling frustrated at not being able to do the trick.

“That depends, is it magic like card tricks, or magic with a ‘K’?” Enocente figured it was the card trick variety, but something felt off about the boy in front of him.

“Um…” 

The man sighed, then moved over to the tank and removed his gloves. “All I can offer is to add a little  _ more  _ to your trick.”

He calmly bit into his index finger, drawing blood. He lowered his hands into the water and started to run them over each other, as if he was washing his hands then ran his fingers through the water. Harrison’s eyes went wide as goldfish appeared, and if one looked closely, they would see red spots on them. He then moved a single hand through the water in a circular motion and the fish started to vanish. 

“Got a cloth?” Enocente asked, raising his wet hands.

“Yeah. Here.” Harrison, still astounded, produced a cloth from thin air with a smile.

Enocente took it and wiped his hands dried, then left the cloth in the palm of his right hand. With a smile, he used his free hand to smack the cloth, clapping his hands. Enocente lowered his hands so they were level with Harrison’s eyes, then removed the cloth, revealing a packet of goldfish, the snack. He handed it to Harrison, who opened dit and tried one. It looked, felt, and tasted like the actual snack.

Enocente put on his gloves. “Following a manual won’t get you anywhere. Just find a unique, clever way to do it. That’s what I meant by ‘more.’”

“What kind of magic was that?!” Harrison exclaimed.

“Now, now. Surely you know that revealing tricks is against a magician's code?” He asked with a cheeky smirk.

Harrison returned the look. “You’re going to teach me that.”

“Maybe. Until then… shh.” He held his finger up to his lips, walking away, pleased with how things turned out.

He looked around then spotted Nikki. Remembering she was here for adventure camp, he took her out to the forest and helped her track down an animal with talons, something he figured she’d appreciate that.

“This is an owl. An owl is a nocturnal hunter. Do you know what that means?” He was wearing a thick glove so the talons won’t pierces his arm.

“It hunts at night!” Nikki exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the talons.

“That’s right. They have ears that are asymmetrical. Meaning one is higher than the other. When something makes a sound, the ears hear the sound at different times. They use this to make a sort of mental image, like sonar, I think.” 

“So they can hunt rats in the dark?” The green haired girl asked. 

Enocente nodded. As they talked more about how owls were silent hunters, the owl started to puke. The two watched as a pellet fell to the ground. “That’s gross, but it does help.”

The man let the owl fly away, and knelt down. “They swallow their food whole, but they can’t digest hair and bones, so they do this. This is called an owl pellet. Let’s open it up.”

“Yeah!” Nikki exclaimed. “I want to see what it’s been eating!”

Enocente smiled. “That’s the point.” He used his fingers, ew, to pry it open and pulled small pieces of bone out, but stopped when he pulled out the top part of a skull.

“Ohh!” The girl moved in close, her eyes sparkling.

The man hummed, then got an idea. The two went back to the camp, Enocente still holding the skull. He went into his office and cleaned the skull, carefully wiping a sealant into it, not only to make it safe to handle, but to make sure it keeps the natural color. He put small holes into it and ran some left over thread from one of the activities through it. He opened his bag and found some colored wood beads. After a few minutes, he produced a necklace with the rat skull as its centerpiece.

“There. Now you look the part of a wild animal, with style.” Enocente tied it around her neck.

Nikki was practically glowing with excitement, eager to show it off. “Thanks, Enocente!” She said and took off, leaving the door wide open.

Enocente made sure to wash his hands thoroughly, wondering if he should have just bleached it like most would have done before shrugging. The girl practically eats bacteria, if the dirt and grime she walked around in was anything to go off of.

The man sighed. “Okay. Who’s next?”

Enocente found himself sitting with Nerris in her clubhouse, a small, single person party dungeon set up for them. “With the troll busy butchering your horse, you have a chance for action.”

Nerris was the DM, which left Enocente struggling to learn the rules on the fly. “The cauldron is boiling, right?”

“Yes, it is.” 

“And what’s holding it above the fire?” He asked, picturing the scene in his mind.

“Metal rods, held together with chains.” Nerris told him.

“Okay, I’ll take my warhammer and knock out the legs so it’ll spill over floor, hopefully burning the troll enough to give me an opening for an attack or a chance to rush pass.” Enocente waited for Nerris to consider.

The girl grinned, looking as evil as a small girl with glasses and braces can manage. “Okay, but if you fail, he will know you’re there.”

“Better to go out fighting then getting caught trying to sneak like a coward.” He said in a boisterous voice, playing up to his Viking-themed warrior role.

Nerris nodded. “Roll for strength.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

After getting stomped on by a troll, Enocente decided to deal with Nurf, and his behavioral correction camp thing. It mostly consisted of him following the bipolar boy around, and quickly, and forcibly stopping him when he tried bullying someone. He would hold him down and “threaten” him with getting not only more rough, but also getting the proper authorities involved. Pretending he was still threatening him, he informed him that he’s end up only ending up in worse shape if he went to juvie, eventually ending up in jail, or prison, like his mom. Although it seemed to work to some small degree, on account of Nurf apologising to Harrison, he became worried about his moments of clarity. Enocente was worried that if it got worse, it'd end up as some sort of split personality, which only became a possibility when his angry and aware sides showed distinct, unique personality quirks.

He made a note to pay close attention to his behavior for any signs of more concerning symptoms. 

Next was Dolph and some painting practice. “Learn to mix colors. It can help create certain shades of colors that can improve the overall look of your work.”

The boy nodded. “But what happens when they mix on accident?” His accent made the w sound more like a v. 

“It is a simple imperfection.” Enocente answered with a smile. “Humans are not capable of perfection, and no two works are the same even if they are of the same thing. We both could paint a tower, use the same colors and mixes, but they will be different, no matter what we do.” 

“Those imperfections are a reflections of your own flaws, which make you unique.” He explained to the best of his abilities. “By accepting these imperfections, these flaws, you’ll be able to express your uniqueness through your art, and by extension, make your art unique.”

Enocente left, satisfied the the boy was more lenient with his own works, no longer getting frustrated at every perceived flaw, but there was still an issue. The man, for all his flaws, didn’t have the heart to tell the boy about the whole Nazi symbolism. He’d rather leave that for David.

Working with Preston was easy at first, since he knew some of the Shakesperian plays, but it quickly became uncomfortable when Preston suddenly put a twist on the story that only happened in smutty fanfics. Which is why they were in such a predicament. 

Preston, for some reason, had assumed the role of Juliet, while Enocente was Romeo. “I am not doing that.” The man said flatly.

“You got the passion in the lines, now you need passion in your actions!” Preston said, too caught up in trying to get his perfect play that he failed to realise what was wrong with this.

In this particular scene, the two lovers took the poison, one that actually killed them instead of making them seem dead, around the same time and after exchanging last words of love, they were to seal their love and fate with a kiss. This was obviously a big no-no since preston was a kid and Enocente was a full grown man.

“The scene calls for the ultimate show of affection. You are Romeo, and I am Juliet! You must  _ show  _ you love me!” Before Enocente could interject why that  _ wasn’t  _ going to happen, Preston continued with a loud, “Kiss me!”

It’s been a  _ long  _ time since the man was flustered. “I- I just… I’m not dealing with this. Find someone else to smooch. I’m leaving.” Enocente hopped off the stage and walked away, ignoring Preston’s calls.

Working with Ered was a bit of a challenge since he didn’t know anything about skateboarding, so he decided to simply instruct her on how to roll if she loses her board midair. It was slow going, but she caught on quick, which is only natural when the alternative is falling on your ass. She eventually went off the ramp, her skateboard going off the side when she lost her grip on it, and she rolled as soon as she made contact with the ground. She flipped her hair after sticking the landing.

Enocente gave her a thumbs up.

Next on his mental list was Neil. Figuring that it would be best to just go through chemical equations, since they didn’t have much equipment or materials. Unfortunately, that was really all Enocente could do. He was proficient in the scientific method, he can claim truthfully. Hypothesis, test and collect data, observe data, accept or reject hypothesis, repeat. Real chemistry with numbers worked out  _ before  _ the experiment? Hell no. He was more of a ”guess and check” kind of guy. It was enough to make Neil feel at ease, so Enocente felt he was successful.

The only one he was certain he hadn’t helped with was Max, but even if he knew what the boy was signed up for, or what he would have wanted from the camp, the sun was starting to dip in the sky. He entered his office with a sigh. 

Max’s paperwork wasn’t the only one that wasn’t completely filled out, or incorrectly filled out, but it was the most bare. Some had listed emails even though it clearly stated phone numbers, which was corrected easily, and there were a few bits missing like last names or the names of parents, but it wasn’t too bad. 

Except for Max’s.

Only his name, just his first name, and age was written on the forms. No activity, no contact information, and no home address to send informational documents or way to contact them if anything happens. Hell, he didn’t know if Max was his actual first name, or if it was a nickname, or just a shortened version. Could it be Maxwell? He didn’t know. It really wasn’t helping his suspicions that Max’s home life wasn’t that great, or at least his parents didn’t care that much.

On the bright side, there’s no obvious signs of physical abuse that he noticed. No flinching with sudden movements, no hints of fear around adults. He just seemed angry that he was there. Max was most likely forced to go to camp so his parents wouldn’t have to deal with him, as he likes to claim is the main reason summer camps exist.

It still made him uneasy. There’s other types of abuse and each leave their own kind of mark, with each individual having their own way of dealing with the trauma.

Their own way of hiding it.

He went to sleep, wondering what he should do with Max. The boy didn’t mind just hanging out, which would be the easiest course, especially compared to asking about his paperwork. He figured the boy didn’t have a say in attending the camp, but surely there was something it offered, scam or not, that he’d be interested in. Even crossing out all of the programs that just weren’t possible with what was there, there was still a decent number of things. Then there was the concerns of his home and mental state. Depression was hinted at in his actions and the way he apparently describes things. He was cynical and seemed to naturally try to isolate himself. It was conderning to the man.

With those type of thoughts swimming around in his head, it should come as no surprise that he awoke the next morning with a splitting headache.

As he got up, he felt his back ache painfully. “God I’m getting old.” He swore under his breath as he got up and hooked up the espresso machine he brought with him and made him his caffeine fix.

He was going to leave right away, but noticed a rather large stack of papers still sitting next to the bird nest on his desk. He needs to sort through it once more and look for more evidence of the Embezzlement that he was asure Cameron was guilty of. Then there was Nerris’ clubhouse needing a few more things done before being officially done. He received a text partway through his paperwork, informing him something was found in the security feed of the facility. So, instead of wearing the outfit he wore when he first arrived, his “biker” outfit, he got dressed in more formal attire. He made arrangements to get picked up and head straight to the airport. When he got his work done, he looked around, but didn’t spot Max, and he failed to see Neil and Nikki either. However, soon enough, much to his relief and confusion, a large bird dropped the two off by him.

“Seems you’re a natural when it comes to animals.” Enocente said with a bewildered shake of his head.

“Yeah, I’m pretty great.” 

Enocente frowned. “Where’s Max? David didn’t seem too worried when I asked him.” 

“He got kidnapped by the Wood Scouts on the other side of the lake.” Nikki casually informed the man.

“Is that a joke?”

Neil flinched and covered Nikki’s mouth before she could respond. “We were… Um…” The man stared at him, growing impatient. “We were trying to escape, and the guy that was supposed to get us out took Max and tossed us overboard.”

Enocente reined in his emotions expertly, rubbing his forehead. “I’m starting to get pissed. After all these years… This is what does it?” He smiled, but it wasn’t because he was happy.

He started to make his way to where they said the camp should be, not bothering to change, figuring it wouldn’t take too long. Enocente almost punched something when he saw the camp that looked more like a military camp than a summer camp for teens, something he picked up on the brief explanation from Neil. Apparently, it was for kids a bit older than those at Camp Campbell.

As he entered, Enocente took noticed there was hardly anyone there. “Guess military camp isn’t popular. Who’d know?”

He stopped and closed his eyes, just listening to his surroundings. He could faintly hear voices so he followed it to its source, finding another large tent, which had a sign out front saying, “Meeting in progress. NO INTERUPTIONS.”

He entered and spotted three people. One was taller than the other two, bald and had a serious expression on his face. The second tallest had the most badges on his sash, looked like he was drooling, ginger, and was covered in zits. The shortest of the three had hair that was close to passing his shoulders, wore an eyepatch, and was sucking on a candy cane that he held as if it were a cigarette. 

Taking a breath, Enocente straightened his back, and put on his “business” mask. “Gentlemen.” The three faced him. “I am on a very tight schedule, so I'll be frank: Where is Max?”

“Ah, so the intel was accurate. Mr. Vero was spotted in Camp Campbell.” The ginger, the apparent “leader” of the trio spoke, his voice suggesting he was going through puberty.

So far, it would seem he’s getting the short end of the stick. 

_ Intel? _ Enocente wondered after a moment. “Would you mind directing me to Max, please? I have things to do.”

“Huh. I’m Pikeman, the leader of the Wood Scouts.”

“And I’m a Mexican with things to do.” 

“That’s Snake and Petrol.” Pikeman introduced.

“I do  _ not  _ have time for pleasantries.” He said impatiently.

The teen didn’t take the hint. “What’s the rush? We were hoping to talk to you about receiving funds for the Wood Scouts.”

“Look, I am not in the mood for your games.”

“Fine, fine. If you want to get the brat back, you’ll have to win him back.”

“You do realise you kidnapped a ten year old?” Enocente asked, wanting to get out of there quickly.

He wanted to leave that dump. We’re helping him.

“No paperwork for the transfer, no notification to his counselors. I could have easily called the authorities since, as far as I knew, he was missing. I would have if it wasn’t for the fact he’s known for ditching activities.”

“He’ll benefit from being a Wood Scout.” The teen claimed confidently.

Wondering if humoring them would speed things along, he asked, “How?”

Pikeman started to explain. “He will be disciplined, and beaten into the perfect Wood Scout, that obeys his superiors without hesitation and without question. That superior being me of course.”

“You seem to enjoy the idea of having obedience.” Enocente stated.

“Who wouldn’t like the idea of having others obey everything they say? With the right training, he might as well be a dog, happy to lick my boots.” Pikeman grinned at the image.

“I can’t allow that.” Enocente took a step forward, his fists clenched.

Pikeman shook his head, gesturing toward Petrol who sat in a go kart. “We won’t let you take him, not until you win the deadly kart race.”

“Yeah.” Snake crossed his arms, getting a little too close to the man for his liking.

Enocente, having enough of this game, tore the eyepatch off Snake’s face. “Take that damn thing off when you’re speaking to me. You look ridiculous.”

Pikeman blinked owlishly. “I can’t believe you did that. What if he was missing his eye?”

“I knew he still had a functioning eye.” The man stated confidently. 

“How? You got a lot of ‘friends’ that are missing an eye?” Snake asked.

“I gouged out enough to know what it looks like.” A shocked pause fell upon them. “Besides, I saw it move every time you looked around, and most blind people, even if they weren’t born blind, tend not to actually move their eyes as much.”

“Now, are you going to continue to impede me?” Enocente’s patience was getting thin, and the only way to keep his hands from wrapping around the teens throat was to run it through his black hair.

“Maybe if you give us that funding.” Pikeman smirked, feeling that he had the upper hand, as did the other two.

But that was not the case.

“Are  _ you  _ trying… to  _ bribe…  _ **me** ?” Enocente’s voice went low, rage subtly affecting his tone.

The three backed away from the adult as he stalked towards them. “Uh… “

Maybe you will come to realise what a bad idea that is when people realise that you kidnapped a child for unsavory purposes.

There was a brief pause, the silence painfully evident. “W-what?!”

“Well, is it that hard to see? Someone who clearly enjoys having a young, defenseless boy at your mercy? You love the idea of making them submit, to  _ obey  _ you, even if it means  _ beating  _ them.” 

“Wait, that’s not what I meant!”

“I know, but it is really convincing when you consider some of the things you just said. Let me explain it in simple terms, since you are a little slow.” Enocente’s insult was not lost on them.

“You enjoy obedience, from boys since this is a boys only camp, with that obedience ingrained so deep that they will do as you say, when you say no matter what it is with no questions.”

“Hold on.” Pikeman tried to interject, but Enocente didn’t give him the chance.

“And you said you would train them, like a dog, since you said they might as well be one. You are willing to beat them to achieve this, and since you said he’d be willing to lick your boot, who knows for sure if that was innuendo?” 

“Wait! What did you think I meant?” The teen demanded.

“It’s not about what I may or may not think, but what people think you meant based on the other details. Is it so hard to believe that you are of a more unsavory nature?” 

“I… I can’t believe you…” Pikeman said in disbelief. 

“You seem the type. Physically unappealing, so you have no choice but to force the matter. And what better prey than a young boy, forced to have the mentality that he has to obey you.”

In a calm voice he continued. “And it makes sense that he’d be a target because he’s so young. He’s still developing mentally, so it’s easier to manipulate, to mold their minds to what you want.”

“And you want a little pet to do what you say.” Enocente looked almost deranged, his eyes wide open and his mouth parted ever slightly as a small smile was on his face.

“That’s not true!” Pikeman yelled.

Enocente shrugged. “No, but it can be rather convincing. And if enough people believe a lie, it becomes the truth.” 

“You’re a horrible man.” Snake whispered, his eyes wide. The man heard him still.

The man laughed, the sound unnerving. “Yes, I am. But that’s nothing new. So, you zit covered shit, you gonna take me to Max, or am I going to make a few phone calls?”

The trio led him to another area. He spotted an obstacle course that was reminiscent of one he’d see in a military training camp. The place was getting more and more boring.

“Enocente?” A voice broke the man out of his thoughts.

It took the accumulated experience that Enocente earned from his several decades of scientific ventures to keep his emotions in check when he spotted the metal shackle attached to Max’s ankle. 

Enocente moved over quickly, kneeling in front of the boy and examined the shackle. “You came for me?” Max asked, his hands covering his bound ankle.

“Someone had to. No one else seemed worried.” Enocente said as he tried to move Max’s hands away from his ankle.

“Are you really surprised? I made David’s life hell last year, and this year is no different.” Max muttered.

“Figured at least David would come looking. He cares about you.”

Max scoffed. “Please. He doesn’t give a shit. He’s too busy being stuck in his fantasy world to care about anything else.” 

Enocente couldn’t really argue that, not knowing the man enough to really make a judgment. He managed to pry Max’s hands away and noticed why he was covering it. Blood stained his jeans, and was drying on his ankle. Enocente carefully pulled the pant leg up, managing to keep from flinching when Max hissed as the fabric brushed against the cuts on his ankle. The shackle had an old fashioned keyhole, located right next to the gap where the two inner clamps lock together. If he had the tools he could pick it or file between the gap so nothing would be holding it together.

Enocente slid his finger into the space between the shackle and the ankle, Max hissing when his fingers touched the cuts. “This is real…” 

He used both hands to grip the shackle on either side of where the two locks met. “Damn! You know it hurts, so stop touching it!” Max snapped.

“He was being insubordinate and kept trying to run. It was a fitting punishment-”

The sound of the shackle breaking made everyone go silent. Max’s eyes went wide as the man slowly stood, holding the broken shackles in his hand, the two locks broken, the metal bent. He dropped it, then took a few steps away, his back facing them. He was breathing quickly, opening and closing his hands into fists, his body shaking with barely suppressed rage. His right hand gripped his left arm tightly, his body starting to shake violently has he took in a sharp breath. As quick as it started, he let a breath out and the shaking stopped, his arms lowering to his sides, his hands open. He turned, his expression eerily calm, no sign of the rage that was just there.

“You have ten seconds to run.” The three blinked. “One.  _ Two _ .” 

The three turned tail and ran. “Ha! Take that, assholes!” Max laughed, but there was something off about his expression that didn’t put Enocente at ease. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Enocente walked over and picked the boy up, much to his irritation.

Max started to squirm in protest, placing his hands against his body and pushed as hard as he could. “I’m not crippled! Put me down!”

Enocente placed him on his hip, making eye contact with the boy. “No. You’ve caused enough problems for one day. Stay  **silent** .”

Max blinked and went quiet, the look in the man’s eyes making him freeze. The two stayed silent as they returned to the camp. Max looked around, trying to distract himself from the unease of the man’s suppressed anger. By the time the two made it back to camp it was dark and a Lincoln navigator was parked next to the counselors cabin with three men in suits standing by it.

One of them approached the two as they were spotted. “Sir, we’re ready to leave.”

Enocente stared at the man. “One moment.” 

“Sir.” The man backed up and stood at attention.

They entered his office and Enocente placed the boy on his desk. He pulled out his first aid kit and started to clean the cuts, ignoring the complaints from Max. The boy looked to the baby birds on the desk next to him in curiosity. Enocente wrapped up his ankle a bit and gave a nod of approval, slowly calming down.

“Do me a favor and tell Harrison I’ll need him the feed the birds while I’m gone.” Enocente said simply.

Max cocked an eyebrow. “Harrison? Isn’t this more David’s thing?” 

“I’m not so cruel as to expose anything to him.” Enocente jokes dryly, earning a brief smile from Max. “Do that and I’ll call us even for this.” He gestured toward the ankle.

“Okay.” Max hopped off, then noticed the outfit. “You have a business meeting?”

“Something like that. I’ll be back. So don’t cause too much mayhem without me.” Enocente winked at the boy and exited the office, followed by the boy.

“No promises.” Max smirked as the man chuckled.

“Good boy.” 

**Max**

After watching him leave, Max walked towards the tents, feeling better now that things between him and the only agreeable adult there was returning to normal. They may not have known each other for very long, but he’d rather stay on good terms with him for the sake of being able to do fun things like the construction, still he won’t admit it, and being able to just relax and be lazy around him without being scolded.

The man scared him, he admitted to himself has he got ready for bed. The man was furious today, more so than earlier, that much was obvious, but the way he reined it all in so fast and to such an extent was what made Max fearful of the man. He wondered if he would have actually hurt them. He was clearly strong enough to break the shackles, so the damage he could do to the three Wood Scouts… 

Yeah, the man was scary when he was pissed, but he seemed more… aware than the others, Max has found. He seemed to observe any and all details and reacted accordingly, the way he would look at things from the corner of his eye so people wouldn’t be able to tell he was watching. That was odd at first, but Max realised that the man was just being cautious by observing things from a distance, in a manner that wouldn’t draw attention. Max only noticed when they were hanging out in the little D&D clubhouse. Enocente would look at him for a few moments then look away, only to look again, all without moving his head. He did the same when he arrived to retrieve him, his eyes accessing everything before he responded, only getting angry when he realised Max was hurt, not when he first saw the boy chained up. It’s not the first time someone was tied up at camp since he arrived, and although he was annoyed, he never got angry since the worst injury was rope burns.

But what he saw was genuine rage, and the words he said. They were a real threat. If they hadn’t left when they did, and called his bluff, Max was certain Enocente would have hurt them. He didn’t know if the man would have held back either. The man, even though he acts relatively open when plied with questions, mainly from Neil, Max really didn’t know who he was. A few days the man had been there, and Max felt at ease when he was nearby, oddly enough. 

The two of them, Max began to realize, both looked at the world for what it was. It made the boy happy, almost, to see speak to someone else who saw the world’s bullshit for what it was. 

But that elation was short lived.

Today, when he was looking at Max’s ankle, his eyes, for the briefest moment, showed one single, prominent emotion: sorrow. That’s what peaked Max’s interest. He was aware like him, but instead of being pissed, he just looked sad, almost disappointed. It reminded him of the only expression he’s seen on his mother’s face before she left.

This was something Max didn’t want to see again, he realised. The man’s rage was potent, and if it wasn’t for the fact that this was real life, he would have expected him to breath fire. Although he wanted to feel a sick satisfaction at seeing them get theirs, the rage was too familiar. The rage made Max think of a man who would hurt someone, even kids, and not blink an eye. It was too much like a man that would enjoy hurting others.

It was too much like  _ him _ .

Max would not get much sleep that night.

**Enocente**

The hum of the vehicle, the cool air coming from the front, and the soft seats normally would help lull him to sleep, or at least relax, but that was not happening that night. Enocente had entered the vehicle, trying to let the classical music calm his nerves, but failing miserably. As they drove away, he looked at the two guards in the back with him, studying their faces. They were new. 

They were replacements for the ones that died.

Enocente’s phone started to ring. He answered it and his eyes went wide before his expression went blank, his gut churning and his heart started to beat erratically as he heard a message he’s been dreading for every hour of every day for the past several days:

_ “We’ve been betrayed, but the snake’s tail has been found.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was near 9000 words, and the chapters after this will probably be the same, like my other story on here which a lot of the chapters are nearly 10000 words per chapter, and there is most likely going to be errors, point them out please. Let me know how I did and anything else that may improve my writing. Thank you for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was surprisingly difficult to write, and it had nothing to do with finals either. So, quick warning. Some violence at the start, and some from here on, not too much detail but the bit in this chapter does involve a child, none of the campers, so fair warning.

#  Chapter 4: Investigations and thinly veiled threats. 

The flight to the facility was uneventful, aside from some turbulence. However, Enocente was not feeling that great by the time he landed. He was greeted by a group of men dressed in hazmat suits with masks, bulletproof vests and guns. He entered the building, flanked by armed guards and got into his own gear, internally hating the mask, which always manages to dig almost too much into his face.

When he finished getting ready, getting checked out by the other guards to make sure it was all right. Soon, it was time to start the work that he despised. There was a room, nothing really special about it. It had smooth white floors, with equally smooth white walls. They were shiny, as if a fresh coat of wax was recently applied. It smelled nice, almost like real flowers were kept in there just moments ago. The type of flowers? Well, nothing really special. No roses, or anything of the like. Inside the room was a chair, just a plain metal one, not like the one in a school. No, not something like that. Just a plain metal chair, one most likely made from aluminum, or some other not so special material. What was in the chair, however,  _ was  _ special.

On a glance, nothing special about him. Neat hair, slightly off-white teeth, plain, boring eyes. Average weight, and not a whole lot of muscles, but what’s in his head, in his mind? That’s what makes him special. 

That thing inside that makes him special, that thing he clings to so desperately, is what Enocente and the other men in the room, are going to pull out, even if they have to claw it out with their bare hands.

There was mention of others. They aren’t so special, not really. They are just background characters, just there for show. Their story? Pointless in comparison to what’s about to transpire, but it may be relevant for some to have more details. In that room, to be frank, there were seven people in the room, one of which was bound to a chair. The other six, well, they had guns, directed to the single man. As a group of armed men entered, the man currently bound to a chair in the center started to struggle. 

All of the men wore the same uniform, with one of them having one thing that made him different than the others. All the visors of the gas masks were tinted black, keeping their eyes and part of their face hidden, however one of the men in the back, had a visor that looked odd. Instead of the smooth visor the others had, his was shaped to look like the upper part of a person’s face. Eyes that stared ahead and the bridge of a nose was visible. There was one at the head of the group, and after he took a look around the room, gestured for the guarding men to lower their weapons. 

The one leading the group jerked their head forward, and the outlier man stepped forward, his boots the only sound aside from the breathing of the bound man. 

“Let’s begin.” Enocente’s muffled voice echoed in the room. “We know that the machine was sabotaged. You are the only one left that could have opened the shell. All I want from you is a single name. That’s all.”

The man looked around, beginning to sweat, before focusing on the only man with a unique mask. “Sir. Please, I don’t know what happened. We had a new guy on shift, maybe-”

“We were able to spot the signs of an infiltration in our surveillance equipment and servers, and that was clever. Distorting the video before you blew it so it would seem that the radiation was ruining the equipment.”

“Boss, I-”

“What you didn’t know, which is why this clever idea failed, was that we have private servers, that only I have access to, where our surveillance backs up to. Had you known, you would have hacked those as well.”

Enocente began to circle around the man in a clockwise direction, the tinted visor reflecting the lights and the people around. “Now, the shell is to be kept closed at all times, and the only time it’s opened is when maintenance is to be conducted. The next inspection was not for another two months.”

Enocente stopped in front of the man and faced him. “The only ones who can open it aside from me, is you. However, even if you cleared it with everyone, you would still need to clear it with me, which means I would be notified. You would have been suspected.”

The tension got heavier as Enocente continued. “You needed another way to open it, and since the computer would have shown your passcode being used to open it, you would have to use more forceful means.”

“That said, the only way to know how to bust requires the knowledge of what was used to make it. Only you and I know that. I would not burn so much money like this, for any reason. You, on the other hand? You have a price for such betrayal.”

“What are you talking about, Boss-” Enocente lunged forward, slamming his fist into the man’s stomach.

“I ask the questions!” Enocente’s rage reeled in after he stood back, and his breathing evened out, and with a calm voice asked, “So, who, may I ask, convinced you to bust it open?”

“I- I don’t…” 

Enocente stepped forward, and pulled out a knife. “Last chance. I have to ask again, I start cutting.”

“T-Tanis!” He yelled. “It was a person calling themself Tanis. I never met them, they sent someone else.”

Enocente nodded. “If this Tanis is who I think it is, then that’s believable. Now, where did you meet these middlemen?”

He shook his head. “I- I didn’t. They came to me.”

“Now,  _ that  _ I don’t believe.” The man started to circle. “So let me ask a different question. Who gave you the IED that you used to bust the shell open?”

He didn’t answer, causing Enocente to take in a breath, growing impatient. “I didn’t want to do this, and in fact, I’d rather not do this, but you’ve forced my hand. Bring him in.”

One of the men left, returning a few minutes later with a small child in tow, a black sack over their head. Enocente grabbed the child, tearing off the sack. “Daddy?”

The man started to thrash in his seat. “No! Boss!”

“Gag him.” Enocente shoved the child over to a guard, who used tape to cover his mouth. “Begin information extraction, purple protocol.”

A loud clang sounded followed closely by a low hum. Enocente watched the man yell and beg, not responding once before he heard a beep sound from his pocket. Once it sounded, he signaled to another man who nodded, left, then returned with a dog. 

Enocente walked over to the child, pulling a canteen off of his belt. “So, why did you betray me? What did Tanis offer you? Where did you meet his informants?”

When the man didn’t respond, even though he heard his son begin whimpering, Enocente opened the canteen and poured its contents over the boy’s head. The liquid was a thick, dark red. 

Blood.

The dog began to growl, eyeing the boy now. “He’s hungry.” Enocente commented, gesturing to the dog. “I feel obligated to feed him, but with so much chaos, we need to make do with what we have just laying around.”

“No! He has nothing to do with this!”

“Neither did those children. Since you don’t care about that, it’s only fair I don’t care if he isn’t involved.” Enocente replied angrily. 

“No, no! Please!” The man begged, but was being ignored. 

“Where did you meet the informants?” Enocente asked again. 

The man’s eyes darted between Enocente and his son. “B-Babylon! They called it Babylon!”

“Lies, lies.” Enocente started to pace.

“No, I swear to you. Babylon! In Iraq.” The man pleaded, tears ready to start flowing.

Enocente stared at the man, his face hidden behind the mask, which only made his heavy breathing more obvious. His shoulders began to shake, the sound of the gear moving with him getting louder. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails began to pierce through the protective material. He slowly regained control, drops of blood from his hands hitting the floor. Enocente turned his head to the guard with the dog. “Do it.”

The dog was set loose, and with a feral snarl, bolted for the boy. The sound of nails scratching along the floor were sounded out by the screams of both man and child. With one jump, the dog was atop the child, its teeth tearing at his flesh. Even with the gag in place, the screams still seemed to pierce through Enocente’s mask and right into his ears. Blood and chunks of red flesh began to pile and pool around the boys body. The pungent smell of blood, urine and excrement began to fill the room. The father continued to yell until he lost his voice, and from then on, he could only watch with wide eyes, mouth wide open, but hardly any noise coming out. 

Enocente blinked, and gone was the horror he witnessed. Instead, all he could see was a thick, purple miasma, which hid the truth from view. With a single order, the vents were opened and the miasma was sucked out of the room, revealing that nothing had changed from when the child was brought in. The same number of armed guards, the man and his son. The father was still staring as he was before, but the child, still on the floor, didn’t quite match what Enocente had just seen. On a closer look, the child’s face was wet with a mixture of tears, snot, and the water he poured on his head earlier. However, that liquid was mixing with the urine that the boy had released when he saw the “dog” come for him. Enocente reached down and picked up the stuffed animal, a fuzzy dog, up off the floor where it fell after the guard threw it at the child. Enocente sighed, the sound of a buzzer signaling that the miasma was gone, and turned to the guards.

“Clean this up.” The men dragged the boy out, the mixture of liquid leaving a trail behind the boy. The father was watching this, most likely seeing blood and a hungry dogs leftovers. 

Enocente snapped his fingers in front of the man’s face, barely getting a response. “Focus. Tell me. Where did you meet these informants? Where did they produce the IED?”

The man opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he closed his mouth. His eyes were still wide, showing off how red they became. His face was wet with tears, sweat and bile. Now that he was thinking about it, the man probably couldn’t really speak at the moment.

Enocente stood, nodding slowly. “Alright. I was hoping for an answer now, but maybe you just need more time to remember. I’m on a tight schedule so I’ll be leaving.” 

Enocente reached into a pouch, pulling something out. “Now, look at this photo. Don’t say anything.” The man looked at it.

“B-”

“ _ Don’t _ say anything. Keep what I just showed you in mind. We took this photo just before I arrived. If you have trouble remembering, we’ll go and talk to them, maybe find a way to  _ help  _ you remember.”

Enocente dropped the photo of the man’s wife and kids, who were playing in their backyard, on the ground, turning to leave, but added one last thing. “Cute kids, by the way.”

Enocente left, removing the gear with a heavy sigh. He spotted the child being checked over by the medical team, but made no move to approach. After getting dressed in a suit, the exhaustion started to take its toll on his mind. Forcing him into an express elevator, trying his best to keep his mind focused, the dinging making his ears hurt.

After several minutes, he found himself sitting in a conference room with several men and women, Enocente sitting at the head of the table, waiting for the rest to come. Several of them had what was left of their lunch, brought with them in their rush to make it, although a few made no attempt to finish, and none seemed comfortable enough to start a conversation. There was only one that stood out amongst them, Enocente mentally noted after observing everyone present. His name was Ezekiel, and was a boy in his late teens at most, bald head and dark skin. He was quietly looking over journals, helping solidify the belief in Enocente’s mind that he was the only one that was calm in the tense atmosphere. The two made eye contact for a brief moment, dark brown eyes met Eziekiel’s brown eyes, although they were slightly more red than Enocente’s. The two didn’t say anything, so Ezekiel looked back to the journals, not bothered by the stare. Enocente did the same with some of the others, but they all refused to look for long, looking scared. It took a few minutes before the rest made it, so Enocente leaned back, sighing.

“We’re all here. I know we all have things to do, so I’ll keep things brief. We’ve found evidence of sabotage, the assailants are unknown, their numbers are unknown, and their goal is also unknown.” 

Enocente looked around, no one saying anything in response. “I’ll need everyone to submit a report, summarizing their departments during, after and a few days prior to the incident. I want it before the end of the week after next.” 

There were silent nods, making Enocente internally frown. “Did the footage we recovered show an insignia?”

Enocente looked at Ezekiel, the two having matching blank looks. “They wore none. No colors, or any defining gear. Everything could be bought in the private sector, even the guns can be owned by most citizens.”

Ezekiel’s eyes narrowed slightly, the only sign that he caught Enocente’s lie, making the man want to smile. “Any more questions?” Getting no response, the older man frowned, visibly. “Dismissed.” 

Everyone packed up and left in a quiet shuffle. Enocente sighed, watching them all leave, noting Ezekiel was eyeing the others, his suspicion expertly hidden. That was  _ not  _ a good sign.

“God damnit.”

**Max**

Everyone managed to get the mess hall cleaned, mostly clean, and sulked off, adults included. Max was more than happy to voice displeasure everyone was feeling after Campbell left. He was pleased to note that David didn’t have the energy to defend the man by the end of the day.

Fuck what David says, Max was going to take a shower, get some food and go to sleep. Much to David’s disappointment, several others also had a similar thought. As night slowly covered the camp, Max was willing to admit that Enocente was right about laying in a bed, or cot in this case, after working. He didn’t fall asleep for a bit, not that it was anything new, but when he did, he really wished he hadn’t. After waking up, the lingering feeling of his lungs burning, ready to burst made it difficult to breath. Since he was still waking up, he was afraid if he opened his mouth it would fill with water. After he opened his mouth with a gasp, unable to hold it much longer, Max slowly came to realise nothing was wrong. He started to relax, only for panic to hit him when he remembered he wasn’t the only one in the tent. He looked over to Neil, letting out a loud sigh of relief when he saw the other boy was still asleep.

Max plopped back onto his pillow, trying to rest for a bit, but it wasn’t to be. He spent a few hours laying in his cot, waiting until the sun started to rise before he got up. David was the only other person up that early, but Max made an effort to avoid him. It was coffee that he was going after. Max managed to enjoy the majority of his coffee before the other campers started to enter the mess hall for breakfast. As Max was chatting with Neil and Nikki, he noticed that it was David cooking rather than the Quartermaster. It was odd, but the food, much more edible than usual made up for the oddness. After eating, Max realised he really couldn’t think of anything to do, even after being given free reign of the camp for the day, so he found himself looking for something to distract him until he started to feel tired. He took a look around, seeing most of the campers milling about their respective areas or their tents, except for Harrison who went to Enocente’s office. It took a moment for Max to remember that Harrison was left in charge of feeding his pet birds.

It was odd seeing how eager he seemed to babysit the ugly things, but then again, so was he. Having nothing to do, and the call of sleep not hitting him yet, Max followed the other boy into the office, ignoring his questions.

As Harrison went about crushing up the worms to feed the birds, Max surveyed the entire area, taking note of what was there originally, and what Enocente had brought with him. He remembered it being made right before camp ended the year before, and he knew that the desk, bed, and bathroom were there as was the shelves. The bed was definitely new, and it looked so damn  _ comfy _ . The covers were a dark gray, standing out against the otherwise brown room. Max pulled back the covers and discovered that the other side of the blanket was made from silk, and the sheets were also made from the same fabric. Max frowned, agitated by the obvious difference between the living conditions, but Harrison making baby talk to the birds distracted him.

“You can’t be seriously enjoying that.” Max stared at the magic boy accusingly. 

Harrison turned red, putting down the chopsticks that he used to feed the birds. “I was asked to.”

“Doesn’t mean you had to do it. Hell, you could make them disappear.” Max moved next to Harrison, putting his hand on the rolling chair that said boy occupied. “No harm done.”

“He entrusted me with the care of the birds, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Harrison said with as much determination a kid can muster.

“Aren’t you here for ‘magic camp’?” Max smirked at him.

The other boy sighed. “Yes, I did. But this isn’t something a lot of people do, besides, I owe him for helping me with my magic.”

Max rolled his eyes, walking away. “Whatever you say, man.”

Harrison sighed and went back to feeding the birds until he deemed them full, then left, leaving Max to finish poking around. The birds had quieted down, so there was hardly any noise aside from Max’s snooping. He pushed a few boxes into the middle of the room, so the light from the window illuminated the box and its contents.

Inside the first box was a large red duffle bag, a cross stitched in. Max opened it and carefully shifted through the little boxes. It was first aid supplies, so the boxes had either gloves, cotton balls, and bandages. Max pulled out a plastic container, and when he opened it he saw several spools of thread. He touched it, finding it smooth and looks a lot thinner than what he’s seen before. A bright red color caught his attention and he picked up a stuffed heart. It was cartoonish, but what made Max hesitate in holding was the needles that pierced it. The boy carefully pulled one out, noticing that it was curved. The container contained surgical suturing supplies. Max put it back then checked the other box that was under the desk. Inside was a few journals and what looked like a photo album. 

Focusing on the journals first, Max opened them, wondering what was inside. Much to his disappointment, he couldn’t understand a word of what he was looking at. His lack of understanding of science was not why he couldn’t read it, but the fact that it was completely written in another language entirely. Max had no idea what the language was, and honestly, it looked more like chicken scratch. He skimmed through it, finding a few drawings, which depicted a human body, their insides shown with labels. One was of a head, a section see through, exposing the brain. There was an arrow pointing at a part of the brain, a line of words on the other end. 

It would seem Enocente was making notes on parts of the body, but with no idea of what the notes were, Max couldn’t tell if it was notes he used when he was first learning about the body, since apparently, according to Neil, Enocente had to learn human anatomy at some point. Despite that actually making sense to Max, the fact he kept them was confusing him. Max usually tosses any notes he takes at school after he doesn’t need them. The other option was that this was recent, which meant these were research notes on the body, which would make sense if the rumors Neil mentioned about artificial limbs were true.

He shuddered when he turned a page and saw a detailed drawing of a head with no skin, the eyes just staring at him. Max put the journal down and looked through some of the others. Not only were they also in different languages, they were of different things. One had drawings if machinery, another seemed to be plants. The boy sighed and took out the binder, opening it and started to look at the photos. 

“Who keeps a binder of actual photos?” Max asked before remembering that he was alone.

Most of the photos on the first few pages were faded, looking really old, even for the man. He pulled out one and looked at it. There was a group of soldiers wearing old US infantry uniforms. He turned it around and tried to read the faded text. 

Sadly, the only words he could read was “company, 1945.” Max figured there was supposed to be a number or some other words in front. He tried to hold it under the light, barely able to see a number, or at least that’s what he thought it was. Setting it back he looked through a few pages, taking a moment to admire the photos of old fighter planes and their pilots. There were names and their divisions or companies.

Eventually the photos started to look more recent. Some of the vehicles and the uniforms started to look more like the ones he’s seen, and of course the dates on the back were getting closer. 

He set it down and pulled another binder out. Max hummed while he opened it, immediately spotting an image of Enocente. The man was sitting on the hood of a truck, seemingly talking to two others who were just leaning against the truck. He was smiling as the photo was taken, probably something one of the others said.

Max jumped with a loud swear as the door slammed open, Neil rushing in. “Jesus! Neil! What the fuck?”

“Oh,  _ hey _ , Max.” Neil waved awkwardly, failing miserably at acting natural. “I didn’t know you’d be here?”

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there.” Max raised his hands. “No.”

“But I didn’t ask anything.”

“No, but you were going to.” Max retorted, turning back to the binder. “And I have something much more interesting to waste the rest of the day with than you do.”

“Do you still have David’s phone?” 

Max blinked then fished out the phone, unlocked it and handed it to Neil. He quickly started searching something while Max shrugged and went back to snooping. The next photo was interesting. Enocente was standing with a man and woman on what appeared to be an oil rig, if the other rigs and ocean in the background was any indication. The woman was wearing a uniform that was suited for the rig, while Enocente and the other man were in more formal suits. The other man was wearing mostly dark clothing, black pants and tie, but a gray shirt. Unlike Enocente he wasn’t wearing a vest and was wearing a hat that actually matched the suit. Speaking of the man, Enocente’s hat definitely looked like something out of a western, and the shiteating girn on his face showed he knew what he looked like. Max almost laughed, wondering what exactly this was about, because the other two were dressed in dark clothing, while the older man was wearing a bright red shirt a white, freaking cowboy hat, smoking a big cigar that pointed at the woman next to him.

Max examined their faces, quickly noticing the woman’s annoyance and the other man’s absolute enjoyment with what’s going on. Despite the smirk on his face, the image of a carefree twentysomething in a tie was broken when Max noticed the deep scars that dragged down his face, right over his left eye. Just from the look of it, Max assumed the eye was gone, or was replaced with glass, but a flat image made it hard to tell.

Just as Max was about to pull out the photo to look at the back, Neil yelled, “Holy fucking shit!”

Max flinched at the volume, then got up to look at the phone. “What’s gotten-” The boy froze when he saw the image in the article Neil was reading.

It showed a large facility, ambulances, fire trucks, and several military vehicles, surrounded by soldiers wearing gas masks or the big suits that Max seen in movies. Neil scrolled down a bit, showing the next image. Max felt sick as he stared at the image of a soldier wearing a gas mask dragging a man out with a tarp thing. 

“What the fuck is this?” Max asked breathlessly.

Neil failed to respond for moment. “That’s why he’s here.” 

Max cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“That’s why Enocente is here. His research facility was attacked and there’s an investigation.” Neil’s eyes were wide as he stared at the phone.

“What the hell happened? Who attacked?” Max asked.

Neil shook his head. “No one knows. They thought it was a machine malfunctioning, but there was a leak, and people think terrorists attacked!” 

“Why would terrorists attack there?”

“I don’t know! Blowing things up! Striking fear in the hearts of the people! Haven’t you seen movies? They love that shit!” Neil exclaimed.

Max grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him violently. “Calm down!”

“Look!” Neil shoved the phone into Max’s face, so the boy snatched it and started to read it.

The article started with summarising the events leading up to the present day. The theories about the machine that was inside, the same machine that was capable of having radiation, why it broke and why the people inside died. The rumors it was an attack started before the photos of the machine itself were released. Max stared at the spherical machine with a hole in it, the hole was jagged, parts looking burnt and partially melted. Some of the original theories involved pressure getting too high and bursting it, but the way it was open didn't look like something came  _ out _ .

Apparently, others thought that too, and now it is believed that someone sabotaged the machine. The thing that made Max uneasy was the report that the children that were visitors, the apparent winners of a competition between several actual science camps. According to the report, the parent to one of the children didn’t want to have treatment done at the facility, unlike all the other parents. Enocente had told them, for the children’s sake, they should be kept there until their condition became more stable, but the father was insistent and they couldn’t really stop him without legal action. The man and the kid were airlifted by helicopter to another hospital, near their home. It would take about an hour, if not longer. During the trip, the condition started to deteriorate, and even though they landed at the nearest hospital capable of treating the child.

The child didn’t make it.

A single sentence was all it took for Max to close the phone, feeling sick to his stomach, close to emptying it all over the floor. It was a quote from a nurse, who apparently resigned after receiving flak for the comment, too insensitive, they said. As they brought the child in, they tried to put them onto a fresh iv, but they couldn’t find a vein. The veins they used to have were gone. As a quote,

“It was as if they were melting from the inside.”

The two boys were standing in silence, both horrified at what they just read. “What the fuck?” Max said softly, breaking the silence. 

“Radiation poisoning. Guess they were on the edge of being sick, but being able to recover, and getting sick enough that death is inevitable.” Neil said, sounding sick himself.

“Oh.” Max didn’t know what to say. “So… Um, want to go through his stuff with me?”

Neil blinked, glanced at the boxes then managed to give a shaky smile. “S-sure.” 

Max opened the phone, closed the article and then picked up the binder he started with. The two, only just a wee bit traumatized, boys spent the next couple minutes looking through the photos, managing to recover as they looked over the old machinery. Neil was gushing over a picture of an old supercomputer. Eventually the two managed to get the article out of their minds as they debated whether Enocente actually like the outdoors as much as David claimed the man did.

“See? He’s a cowboy on the side. Look at this shit.” Max held out a photo of Enocente sitting atop a horse, wearing a hat with a wide brim and boots that belonged to texans.

“What year is that?” Neil asked, looking startled.

Max hummed as he flipped it over. “2008. Damn, guess some scientists  _ like  _ the outdoors. I wonder if that’s why he’s so great?”

Neil immediately started to wave his arms, shaking his head as he went into denial. “Hell no! No self respecting man of science would ever go outside willingly.”

“Aren’t botanists scientists?” Max smirked at the look that crossed the taller boy’s face. “Maybe you and Enocente can go to this farm, maybe learn a thing or two.”

Neil shuddered. “It must be a publicity stunt.” He glared at the photo, as if it personally wronged him.

Max just remembered the journals he was looking through earlier, and quickly fished it out. “Oh, do you know what this says?”

Neil took it from him and opened it, looking through some of the pages. “Hm, electrochemical… optic… His grammar is off in a few spots, but I can understand it, mostly.” His eyes quickly darted from side to side.

Max moved closer, looking over his shoulder. “Really?” He could see Neil was in a section with the drawing of organs and other body parts. 

“Yeah, but I’m not that fluent.” Neil responded, rubbing his chin.

“So what’s he doing?” Max asked impatiently.

Neil made a noise, something between choking on his spit and a gasp. “These are his research notes! He’s trying to make eyes!”

Max made a face, confused by the outburst. “What?” He looked at the page Neil was on, seeing a detailed diagram of an eyeball.

“Robotic ones if case you lose your own. He’s trying to figure out how best to connect them to the optic nerve.” Neil rambled, bouncing on his knees.

Max glared at Neil. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak nerd.”

Neil sighed. “If you pull out your eye, there would be this fleshy thing attaching it to your brain, a tendon. That’s the optic nerve, see?” He pointed to the drawing.

“Huh. What else is there?” The question caused Neil to start flipping through the journal.

Neil practically jumped to the ceiling as he turned to the same page Max had started on. “I knew it! He is making artificial limbs! So these are the coveted notes people around the world have been trying to steal? And it’s all mine!”

Max blinked, then pulled out David’s phone. “I think I’m going to tell him you’re trying to steal his hard work.”

Neil glared at the shorter boy. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’m pretty sure David has his number on his phone. Man, he might never respect you for this, no matter what you do later in life.” Max was smirking, showing Neil David’s contact list.

“Okay! I’ll put it back. God, you know how to just press my buttons without trying.” Mumbled Neil, carefully putting the journal back.

Max rubbed his knuckles against his sweater. “What can I say? It just comes naturally.”

Neil rolled his eyes at the shorter boy. “Being a douchebag? I noticed.” He smirked, pleased at his comeback.

“Fuck you.” Max was smiling, enjoying the conversation the two were having. It was definitely one of the better ones they’d had since meeting each other.

There was a pause as the two boys continued rifling through Enocente’s things, finding small tidbits about the man from the photos, both seemingly content. However, Neil started to become worried, as seen on his expression and shaky hands. Soon, the boy in question broke the silence. 

“So, do you think we’re in danger?”

Max didn’t look up from a photo of Enocente in a bar, a pint in hand. “What do you mean?”

Neil shifted uncomfortably. “Well, if this is a terrorist threat, why target just him and why only just one machine? Normally they do something big, with things like bombs or shootings.”

Max glanced at Neil, shrugging. “Maybe it was just some amateurs. Not all attacks on the US were as big as, say, 9/11. Some are really small.” He didn’t really want to think about it.

Neil shook his head dismissively. “Amateurs breaking into one of the most guarded, high tech research facilities in the US? It had to be someone with some real backing to do that, or a genius hacker.”

This was starting to sound like some movie plot. “Or maybe there’s someone on the inside.” Max said in an exaggerated tone, not really thinking much.

Neil gasped loudly, startling the other boy. “Oh, shit, you’re right!”

Max blinked owlishly at him. “Wait, what?”

“That makes perfect sense! Even the tour going through wouldn’t have gone into that room. And the only ones who can are atual employees that should be there.” Neil theorised.

Max wasn’t liking where that was going. “I was joking.”

“But it makes sense. He’s one of the most secretive people in the research field, who almost never trusts anyone but himself. It must have been someone really high up to gain access to the device.”

“How does  _ that  _ make sense?” Max asked.

“Because even if you worked in that chamber, you couldn’t get in on your own, you need someone else to open some of the doors. Enocente is the only one who can open any door at anytime that we know of.”

It took a moment to process what Neil said. “Are you saying someone wanted this to happen?” Max concluded. 

Neil nodded. “Yes! But who?”

Max shrugged. “Well, it has to be someone he pissed off, right? Isn’t that why people do things to others?”

Neil frowned. “Max, not every bad thing that happens to someone is because they did something to deserve it.”

That was  _ not  _ what Max was saying. “Okay. But doesn’t that make sense?”

“Yeah, but other companies tried sabotaging him before, just because his success threatened theirs. Enocente didn’t do that on purpose. He didn’t even expose the companies after he found out.”

“Really?” Max didn’t know the man well, never heard of him to be honest, so it was natural that he didn’t know a damn thing about him.

“He doesn’t like conflict.” Neil explained.

“So do you think it’s another company doing this?” Max knew the real world, especially in the business world, was cutthroat.

“I don’t know. It could be, but this is way worse than any other time, so if it is, they’re really desperate. The camps that visited were ones he created, or openly supported, so that’s why I’m worried.”

“Oh. You know, we could always call him.” Max waved the phone in front of his face.

Neil almost looked excited, turning to face Max fully. “That-”

“Well, I’d never.” The two boys didn’t even notice the door open and David walk in, catching them.

Max sighed loudly, taking the man’s phone away. “So much for that.”

David placed his hands on his hips, looking more like a disappointed mother. “I just cannot believe you would go through Mr. Vero’s personal belongings.”

“He shouldn’t have brought it if he didn’t want people to go through it. Besides, these are photo albums. They were meant to be looked through.” Max said casually.

“That may be true, but those are private, so they’re for friends and family only.” David walked over, looking down on them.

“You always say we’re like a family here at Camp Campbell, so I am allowed to go through it if that’s true.” Max smirked, waiting to see an opening.

“Well, I’m happy you’re starting to see that, but that’s no excuse to go through someone’s things.”

“Worth a shot.” Max shrugged. 

David walked over and picked Max up, making the boy start thrashing about. Neil sighed and followed them out. “Now, come on. I have half a mind to tell Mr. Vero you went through his things the moment he comes back.”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Max grumbled, having given up on getting out of David’s grasp.

“He’s right, you know. He’ll only get upset if he knows we did. If he doesn’t he won’t be mad.” Neil agreed.

“Nope.” David responded, standing firm on this. “He’s going to know that you violated his privacy, and you’re going to apologize.”

“I’m not apologising to dick.” Max crossed his arms, still being held at David’s side, facing the ground.

“Language.” David set him down at a log, where several campers were chatting. “You’re not getting out of this. Now, I do not want to find you, any of you, going through his things again.”

Neil sat down next to him. “Well, I guess we should have seen that coming.” He smiled, not bothered by the “consequences” David said was coming their way. 

Max leaned back. “Yeah.” 

Neil looked around, surprised he didn’t see or hear Nikki causing mayhem. “Can you call him?”

“Who?” Max asked absently. 

“Enocente.” Neil said, gesturing to Max’s pocket. “You said his number was on the phone.”

Max let out a sigh as he sat up, taking out the phone. “Oh, um, okay.” Max went to the home screen to open the contact list, but stopped when he spotted something horrifying. “Hold up, this fucker has tinder? Jesus, what a sad piece of shit.”

Neil blinked, his cheeks turning red a bit, then chuckled. “He needs all the help he can get.”

Max opened the contacts and started to scroll down, looking for the man’s name. “Oh, here it is.” He tapped the number, opening up the info that David had, which was just the number and name.

Max pressed the phone icon and it started to ring.

**Enocente**

Most people who worked with Enocente knew he was not someone to remain idle, not in any capacity. When not physically moving, he’s forcing his brain to work double time to compensate. As such, even as he sat in a chair, waiting for the experimental aircraft he’s been working on for the past few years to be hoisted up all the way to the ceiling, held only by metal chains, he was thinking of another experiment to conduct if this one failed. 

He held a remote in his hand, his finger lightly rubbing one of the buttons, and when he presses it, the chains will detach and let the craft fall. The engines are what’s being tested that evening, so when it falls the engines are going to be left in an idle power setting, which should allow the craft to hover. In a basic sense: thing falls, engine should stop fall, shouldn’t move up, and shouldn’t move down.

But they still need to do a proper system check, so, much to his chagrin, Enocente had to wait. He really wanted to get started, but safety first, and thinking of more experiments he’ll  _ also  _ have to wait for wasn’t making things easier. Enocente found himself wishing for some kind of distraction.  _ Anything _ .

His phone started to ring, and after fishing it out, Enocente looked at the caller id. It said “David.”

Maybe not  _ anything _ .

“Should I be concerned?” Enocente asked as soon as he answered.

A much younger voice answered.  _ “Yes, be very afraid, for your doom has come.” _

“Max? Why’d David let you use his phone? Is something wrong?” He got ready to get up.

_ “No, things are actually okay, except Campbell came by, told us the food budget was being cut.” _ The boy answered angrily.

Enocente gritted his teeth. “Where is he?”

_ “No idea. He said something about a poker game.” _ Max answered.  _ “He also said something about Thailand, but I’m not sure.” _

“So he’s gone?” Enocente asked tersely. 

Max’s response was slow.  _ “Yeah.” _ His voice was low, almost as if he didn’t want to answer.

Enocente rubbed his forehead, feeling the unmistakable desire to get a drink. “I’ll deal with him later, then. So, since he’s gone, did you do anything interesting since I’ve been gone?”

_ “We revolted.” _ Max said in a lighter tone.

The man hummed. “Against the counselors?”

Max chuckled. _ “Yup. It was pretty easy, actually.”  _

Enocente also chuckled at the image of two adults getting overpowered by a bunch of kids. “How’d that end?”

Max’s tone went from amusement to slight agitation.  _ “Failure. Ered had just about everyone on her side, even Nikki.” _

A man signaled about ten minutes until the experiment starts. “Sounds interesting. What’d you do with David and Gwen?”

_ “Tied them to the flag pole and kept Gwen from escaping by putting a tablet with crappy tv in front of her.” _ Max said, not even trying to hide how pleased with himself.

“Did David not try to get out?” Enocente asked, shifting in his seat, his ass going numb.

_ “He couldn’t, although he was busy being impressed with my knot tying skills.” _ The eye roll was rightly assumed.

Enocente adjusted his tie, the smooth fabric tugging on his necklace. “Figures. Was there anything else you needed?” He asked as he carefully undid the necklace, briefly staring at the gold rings that were attached to the chain.

_ “Think we can get better internet? The shit we have is garbage, like everything else here.”  _ The complaint was valid, so the man decided against saying anything.

“Maybe. I think I can bring a few computers back with some games on it. Neil can use it to look at models of atoms, Space Kid can play some simulators for space launches. We should have some VR stuff, and the rest can have some game time if they behave.”

_ “That sounds like a bribe.” _ Max stated in an accusing tone, but he was undoubtedly excited.

Enocente chuckled, leaning back, feeling his back pop a bit. “I like to call it ‘incentive.’ Just rolls off the tongue better.” He unfurled his hand as he said it, even when on the phone he just couldn’t keep his hands from moving.

_ “Sounds cool, so what kind of games are on there?” _ Enocente found himself smiling at the child’s excitement.

“CSGO, arma 3, minecraft, and a few others. I have games on my steam, but I don’t have time to play as often, so I’m not sure.” He shrugged, glancing around.

_ “You actually play games like that?” _ The disbelief in his voice was evident.

“Not very well, mind you, but yeah.” He answered honestly. “So, think you’ll be on relatively good behavior?” 

_ “Maybe.” _ The boy promised in an unconvincing tone.

A smirk crossed his face. “Good to hear. If you said yes I wouldn’t have believed you. Anything else?”

_ “Can I ask you something?” _

“Go ahead.”

_ “Does the 99% have any power?”  _ Max sounded genuinely curious, an odd thing Enocente learned.

“Well, do you know what type of government the US has?”

He answered,  _ “It’s a democracy.” _

“Yes. In the definition of a democracy, the people have a say in the government. They have the most power. What you are referring to is the conflict between the one percent, all the rich people, while the 99%, are everybody else.”

_ “So how come we don’t have a say?” _

“You do. The rich, middle class and poor all have a say, but with such a massive population, it became necessary to have representatives to make things simpler.” Enocente could feel an ache in his chest.

_ “So how come the one percent has more power than the rest of us?” _

“Most rich people are rich because they own big companies. Some companies are actually really great, and have contributed a lot to the country. So having someone associated with a brand that has such a good track record suggest a change they think will help will carry more weight than some random person on the street.”

“Not to mention, when rich people try to have tax laws changed so they don’t get taxed as much, the 99% usually are the main reason those attempts fail. There’s more of them than rich people, so their voices are louder, and their ‘achievements’ mean nothing.”

The boy asked,  _ “So what changed?” _

“Unfortunately, and this has been happening for a while, the people in the government have started to be just the one percent, or are easily influenced by them. One of the potential candidates for the office is a rich person.”

_ “Is that why he’s been acting like that?” _

“Ha! The rich don’t like being told what to do, or be told ‘no’ for that matter. Comes with an easy, entitled upbringing.” Enocente smirked, carefully tucking his necklace under his shirt.

_ “But aren’t you a part of that one percent?” _

“Right now? Yes. But due to my keeping things to myself up until recently has led people to believe are was born rich. But in reality i was born in the lower middle class.” He explained.

_ “I didn’t know that.” _

“That’s kinda what I just said. No one aside from a few people knew of me prior to my scientific research coming to light.”

Max sighed loudly.  _ “Shut up. Is there any way to fix this?” _

“It’ll sort itself out soon enough. If he wins, no matter how long her serves, eventually people will look on this and go, ‘well that sucked, let’s not do that again.’” The man doubted it despite it being possible. It won’t. It could, but it won’t. 

_ “Really?” _

“Possibly. We’ve had a variety of presidents in the past. JFK was a man who admitted mistakes when he made them, such as the failed assasintion of Castro, and was capable of getting people to listen and believe in the things he says. He was very charismatic.”

“Ronald Reagan was an actor prior to being president, so he was fun to watch and listen to when he came on. Even when he got shot he made jokes after waking up. So most people can say they wouldn’t mind another Reagen, and most would want another JFK for the most part.”

Enocente sighed, rubbing his arm. “Basically, there is no set type for presidency. It’s not some man in a suit with the mind for diplomacy. It’s been anything but that and it worked fairly well.”

_ “JFK was president when the US landed on the moon, right?” _ Max honestly had no idea, just going off of something a teacher said at some point.

“Indeed. ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.’”

Max sounded amused when he asked,  _ “You memorised his speech?” _

“Just the part that stuck. Are you getting what I’m trying to say?” Enocente knew he could ramble in an attempt to cover as much as possible, unintentionally making the point difficult to spot.

The boy took a moment to think.  _ “Reagen was funny, so people liked him, and JFK accomplished something great, so people liked him.” _ He listed off.

“Quite so. We know the types that ‘worked,’ but of course, getting just any actor won’t work, even if it’s a comedian. They have to see the bigger picture. Regardless of whether you agree with some of the things Obama did, the fact he did things is applaudable.”

_ “I guess.” _ Max was sounding board, clearly not liking the current topic.

“Not one for politics?” Enocente chuckled.

_ “No, but everyone likes to talk about it now. So you think we’ll manage to avoid getting some rich prick as the president?” _

“Possibly. Well, maybe not in this case. Obama was charismatic in his own way, the way he acted gained a decent fan base, but then again, no one thought Trump was going to win, but according to some, it seems like he might, so who knows?”

_ “Let’s hope these adults are not that dumb.” _ He said bitterly.

“Well, it isn’t just adults that support him. Seen plenty of younger people believing this make america great again shit.” He commented, smiling when Max made a small noise.

_ “That’s true.” _ He sounded like he knew he was put in the corner, so to speak.

Enocente shifted in his seat, board. “So, anything else you need, Max? I got time.”

_ “Neil used the phone to look something up and I wanted to ask you about it.” _ Enocente blinked at the uncertainty in Max’s voice and the sound of the other boy’s voice in the background.

“What’d he look up?” The man asked curiously.

_ “You’re facility was attacked.” _ Max stated.

“Yes.”

_ “A child just died.” _ Max’s voice was soft, his unease being conveyed accurately through the phone call.

Enocente found himself hesitating, debating how to answer, well, mostly if he  _ should  _ answer. “…Yes.” 

_ “People are saying it was a terrorist attack. Apparently there was a leak of pictures of this machine that caused the radiation leak. Some people are saying it looks like it exploded.” _

“That is the theory now.” Enocente answered, taking in a deep breath. “Although most people are still saying it burst, because of some pressure issues. A malfunction, to be frank.”

_ “Yeah, but some experts were saying that the explosion that happened was too big for what was inside.” _ Max reported, a second voice clearly making sure he remembered everything.

“It was a very low yield machine, yes. If anything, it would have been like a handgrenade, with a side of radiation.” Enocente tried to explain in simple terms.

_ “So who attacked?” _ He asked bluntly.

Enocente gave a low hum. “We don’t know. Besides, I shouldn’t really talk about it.”

_ “Oh, yeah, sure. Man, some people are just horrible, huh?” _ His casual response was a bit off putting, Enocente noted.

“I can’t disagree, but if this was a terrorist attack, it wasn’t thought out well.” A man walked by, making Enocente sit up in anticipation, only to slump when the man kept walking.

_ “Don’t people just blow things up?” _ He asked, and Enocente had to give him some points for actually asking rather than just assuming.

“Amongst other things.” He answered. “Terror attacks are meant to instill fear in others, so I guess it counts.” 

Max sounded a bit sick, making the older man frown.  _ “Like what ISIS was doing. Burning people and other executions. I saw it on the internet.” _

“Normally I would be bothered by a kid seeing those things, but I’d rather you be aware. The things they show, and the things they do but keep on the downlow, are done for a reason.”

_ “The people who attacked you harmed kids! What do they gain from that?” _ He asked incredulously. 

“Most do things for the sake of causing panic, terror in the populous. It can be done for political reasons, but this… I don’t know. Maybe it’s me, or maybe it’s just violence for violence’s sake.” He explained, leaning forward a bit.

Max shook his head, sighing loudly, his voice conveying disbelief.  _ “Guess you can’t really imagine what goes on in their heads, huh?” _

Enocente’s eyes stared off, his voice coming out lighter than it normally would. “Oh, yes I can.”

_ “What are you talking about?” _

“I… well, let’s just say, to keep things simple, have seen many horrors in my life. Here, out east, the south. There are horrors in all shapes and forms in all corners of the world. The constant: humanity.”

“You know better. Your behavior is rather telling. For some, humanity is a cancer. To them, they are making the only real choice that matters.” He stated in a flat tone. “That is why some people do these things, but most tend to be political, for the most part.”

Max sounded like he didn’t know how to respond.  _ “That’s insane.” _

“Does it really matter? There are some of these self righteous fools you’d find quite charming.” He smiled despite himself.

_ “And that’s how they get followers.” _ Max realised, letting out a breath.

“Yes. That’s why ISIS has people from America joining them and carrying out acts on their own soil.” There was a pause. 

_ “Do you really think this is an attack directed at you?” _

“It’s possible. I made enemies all over, even here in the US. And despite what some people might think, a lot of people in Mexico hates me.” He said, actually sounding amused.

_ “Are we in danger?” _ There was a voice saying something near Max, which sounded like Neil.  _ “I just asked him!”  _ Max shouted the last bit away from the phone.

“No. This is most likely a sort of sabotage, just with more collateral. They tried that a few years ago with similar methods. They sabotaged a machine, it hurt people and launched a large investigation.”

_ “So they’re trying to ruin your business?”  _ His voice sounded louder, probably trying to help Neil keep up with the conversation.

“And my reputation so I can’t recover, but this is a lot worse than before. Whoever started this won’t have many ways to get away. Even if no children died, the fact they got hurt will make the potential backlash a lot worse.”

_ “Wouldn’t the backlash already be bad?” _ Max asked.

Enocente rubbed his shoulder with a soft groan. “Sure, they could get sued for slander, well, sabotage, but it’s a part of business. Just it being called a potential terror attack is enough to make the potential repercaustion be so much worse than they would get.”

_ “Will you be able to find them?” _ Enocente could hear some movement, and someone’s voice in the background.

“Most likely. The fear of severe prosecution will make them sloppy. We already have some leads, which is most likely because it’s the same person as before.”

There was a lengthy pause.  _ “That… that sounds like a lot. A-are you sure we’re going to be safe?” _

“Yes, Max. You and everyone there will be safe, I promise you. I have people keeping an eye on things both around the camp and any place I’ve been associated with. Nothing will slip through, we’re experienced with catching rats.”

_ “That’s good.” _ Max responded casually, the sound of a door opening and closing, and footsteps.

_ Must be moving away from the others. _ Enocente noted. “Was there anything else I can help you with?” He asked patiently.

_ “Wh- when are you going to come back?” _ Max’s voice sounded hesitant, which could have been from embarrassment, but Enocente knew better, having plenty of experience with troubled children.

Enocente smirked. “Aw, somebody miss me?”

_ “Fuck off.” _ Enocente could tell Max was rolling his eyes, making the man chuckle.

“Heh. Soon, Max. Look, just remember, leave those things to me, okay? It’s one thing to be aware of what’s going on in the world, from our own country or things elsewhere that could affect us. Got it?”

_ “Yeah. Okay.” _ The boy replied, sounding unsure.

Enocente moved the phone away, but quickly put it back quickly. “Max?”

_ “Yeah?” _ Enocente paused.

“I know it might not mean much to you, but I won’t let anything bad happen to any of you. I know the cost of failure with that kind of promise. I will not let it happen again. I’ll keep you safe, even if I have to use my body as a shield. Okay?”

_ “O-okay.” _ Max replied quietly.

Enocente put away his phone after their brief goodbye, sighing. He looked over and got a thumbs up from an assistant. Enocente nodded then pressed the button. The chains holding up the craft disconnected from the ceiling, and it began to fall. The engines hummed loudly as it tried to counter the momentum and stop a few feet above the ground. The chains made a loud clang as they hit the floor, sliding of the craft. The sound echoed in the otherwise empty chamber. Enocente waited for a few moments, listening. After not hearing a crash or any other concerning noise, he raised his empty hand, his fingers touching the bottom of the craft. He looked up, seeing it hover right above him, having stopped from crushing him. Had it fell a moment longer, it would have slammed his head into his chest, most likely something less cartoonish, but still. If it had failed all together, he would have been a pile of bloody paste, with some powdered bones, staining the bottom of his baby.

Without a word, Enocente got up, crouched, and walked from underneath the craft, dragging the chair with him. As he took several steps away from it, he turned and looked at the fruits of several long, sleepless years of work hover before him. Several layers of lead, but made primarily from a metallic alloy that not only was extremely light, but strong and moldable, under the right conditions.

The mixture, the percentages of said mixture, the temperature he need the metal heated to shape it. Everything was a long process. If it wasn't hot enough, it would not bend, but if it was too hot, it melted or any hardware used to hit it from hammers to hydraulic presses would just sink into it. The margin for error was too small. On first observation, it is either too hot or too cold, with no in between, but Enocente didn’t give up, and he worked tirelessly to find the ideal conditions to make his project work.

It had large windows in the front made from ballistic glass, separated by metal strips in consideration of surface area, so the pilot will be safe and still be able to see. With a wave of his hand, three panels on the bottom of the front, under the nose and the sides, opened and cameras slid out, the led lights turning on. Not only could the pilot use the nose camera to see what was below, the other two can be used by copilots to watch the flanks. The cameras were capable of rotating nearly 360 degrees, and had a metal plating acting as shielding. The craft was wide, and almost bulky in appearance, but was smooth, slink even in its construction. Not including the cockpit, which is separated from the rest by a metal sliding door, it had twenty seats, six “tables” for injured passengers that need to be tended to, and multiple handles and bars on the top and sides of the back so more people could board with relative ease. The engines made a low hum, even on full power, making ideal for stealth operations if needed. A ramp on the back had four spots for rappelling or they could attach a cart to pull up injured people. The ramp can be opened to any desired degree with the use of a crank, depending on what they were near of if they were landed on an uneven slope. It still needed some finetuning, but other than that, it was coming along nicely.

The things he could use it for, even if others tried to use it for more military operations, made it a fact in his mind that the work and fortune he put into it was worth it.

Enocente smiled. Not only could it operate in more toxic environments, it could help in search in rescue missions. With a rear facing camera in the back, accessible to anyone in the cockpit, they could turn the craft around and lower enough that the ramp can be stepped on without need for any assistance. 

“Set it down.” He told the other assistants, and he watched expectantly as the landing gear slide out and the craft landed with a bit of a jolt. “Softer landing, noted.” He muttered to himself.

Enocente’s phone vibrated, signifying a message. He pulled it out and looked at the message. It was a photo from David’s phone, so from Max. It was of David and Gwen, although it was more focused on the ginger than the woman. True to his word, Gwen’s eyes were glued to the screen of a tablet while David was saying something, managing only to look slightly annoyed about being tied up. Enocente found himself chuckling at the image, sending a thumbs up emoji back in response. He put his phone away, turning to a door on the other side of the chamber.

“Cute.” He smiled as he opened the door, the heavy metal making the gears groan.

He walked in and hit a button on the wall, and lights started to come on with a flicker. A large crate sat in the open area of a loading bay, the stone walls adding to the ominous feeling caused by the lack of a sliding gate that most trucks used. In place of the gate, there was a metal seam in the ceiling, the pistons and gears that allowed the doors to open.

Enocente slid the crate close to himself, surprised by how light it was. He looked around and spotted a crowbar, walking over to pick it up. He walked back and started to open the crate, groaning. 

“Thought I was paying people to do this for me.” He sighed and tossed the crowbar away, the clanging echoing in the room.

He slipped his fingers into the gap and pulled, the lid coming off. He set the lid down, shaking his hand. Inside were four square packages, made of paper. He picked one up, undoing the wrapping, taking off the paper and looked at what he got. The device was comprised of two parts, the main bit the biggest part, and the second was bolted to the top of the main bit. It had several screens, a single wire sticking out near the top right, connecting the main part to a battery. It was neatly made, knowing full well that the only way to get to the wires was to take off the lid of the main part. He looked in the crate and picked up a key, sliding it into the hole under the biggest screen, turning it. With a click, he slid the thin panel down, exposing a number pad. He pressed several buttons and pressed the green button on the bottom. The device beeped and a number appeared on the screen. With each second, it beeped. He entered another code and the device turned off. He closed it and set it down next to the rest. He looked down at the explosives with a small frown. He knew what they were for, and he’d rather not have to, but it was necessary and he was there for the sole purpose of doing what was needed to be done. With that last thought, Enocente smiled.

“I always loved a live fireworks show.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That start originally wasn't a hallucination and when I first wrote it, a lot more happened and it actually happened. I never shied away from violence in anything I've written, even when it involves younger characters, canon or ocs. However, I did start thinking that it may not be needed for this story, so I felt it was out of place, especially which version of the OC i'm using in this one. That took me a large amount of time, trying to figure out what to do. I did decide to change it and go with that, but that doesn't mean it won't happen still later, so bear in mind that there will be some descriptive violence here and there, but it isn't a big part of it.
> 
> So, this should be one of the last chapters mostly dedicated to setting the OC character. I may have some time to make up for the longer wait time with another chapter, or at least a longer one, depends on school rip. 
> 
> As per usual, leave a comment on how I'm doing, compliment or constructive criticism and let me know if the violence at the start was a bit much, it won't make me stop entirely, but I will be considerate of my audience.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was doing something, writing up this chapter, also thinking of what's going to happen on the next chapter. 
> 
> I completely forgot this chapter. I planned this early, but as I was typing, I was like "wait a minute, when did that happen?" And I looked at the episode list. Yes, I am following it for a bit, not episode to episode, but will soon veer off. Regardless, I realized the stuff that's supposed to happen in the seventh chapter happened after what happens in this one. I was surprised. If I didn't notice this might have ended up as a later chapter, and I would not be able to accept that.
> 
> So, on to a more positive note, we have officially breached a hundred pages. So, to explain why i was gone for so long. The other story hasn't really been edited since 2016 (back on fanfiction). I decided to edit it, make it pretty and then write up a new chapter. Here's the dilemma. That story is well over 200 pages, over 100,000 words. The spell check is NOW seeing grammar. If you read it now, there are times when the words are spelled right but don't make sense. And it doesn't realize some words are not a name but a people, so it tries to get rid of "the." So I have to read through it. 
> 
> All of it.
> 
> God i never hated perfectionist habits I had until now.
> 
> Enocente isn't a word, too. Or a name. If it's spelled wrong, it does not notice. Sometimes I wished I picked a different name, like Steven.
> 
> Pretty sure Enocente means innocent, probably. Never heard of anyone named that, except one person.
> 
> Woe is me.

#  Chapter 5: Is it amazing, or is it magic? It’s magic, and a whole load of BS.

**Enocente**

_ “Dominique, nique, nique, over land he plods along and sings a little song~” _

“Huh. So there was an English version.” Enocente paused the song then put his phone away, rolling his shoulder as an ache formed. 

Walking into the bathroom he retrieved his pill container, taking one, and then washed it down with water. He sighed then looked into the mirror. “Should I grow a beard?”

Shrugging, he went back into the room, wiping some sweat off his forehead. On days that he had nothing to do outside, whether that meant he only had paperwork to do or he was done with that, or it was just too warm for his formal clothing, he’d wear the usual thing work pants, boots, and short sleeve shirt. Of course, out of habit, he also put on his harness. This was one of the days where it was both, even with the window cracked open with a decent breeze, it was just too warm to be comfortable. He honestly prefered his workshop where it was almost always cold, the AC never turned off unless broken. If he got too cold he could put on a coat, or eat some meat. Can’t really chase away the heat. Besides, he’d rather be cold and dry rather than hot and sweaty.

He was a sad excuse for a Mexican, that’s for sure.

Carefully, he moved a box out from under his desk, pulling a book out. Sitting down, he planned on reading the rest of the day away. All the paperwork he had was done already, finances for the camp looked good, for the time being. He won’t forget all the other things he needed to do for the incident up north, especially a little hearing that will determine whether he will be charged for what happened to the kids. Not that he was against the idea, but he knew that if he did offer money and such right now, the media will speculate that he’s trying to avoid the chance of a hearing. They will say avoiding justice, he wagers. He sighed, rubbing his forehead, trying to keep the headache at bay. Regardless, things were better than he expected. So, and it may just be his desire to be lazy, he felt he deserved some time to himself, free of annoyances. 

A boy’s voice cut through his silence with an angry, “It is not!”

“Yes, it is!” A girl’s voice retorted.

“The only thing that’s fake is your stupid fantasy game you play on your own.” 

Or not.

Enocente stood, setting his book down and looked out the window. Sure enough, Nerris and Harrison were facing each other, ready to pounce. He really didn’t want to get involved. 

“Mock me if you want, but we all know you’re only jealous because the only people who believe in that are idiots.” Nerris crossed her arms, glaring daggers.

Harrison seethed, almost trembling with anger. “And you’re jealous because the only people who play D&D are nerds!”

“Take that back!” 

“Make me!”

Enocente sighed, “Fick mich.”

Nerris had grabbed Harrison by his vest when she was pulled off her feet. Harrison backed up when Enocente fixed them both a disapproving look. “Are you kids physically incapable of avoiding fights for  _ one  _ day?”

“Sorry, sir.” Nerris looked down, sending a glare towards Harrison.

Enocente looked to the boy who had shrunken down. “S-sorry.”

The man sighed, looking to see if the apologies were genuine. Seeing no reason to doubt them, he set Nerris down and shooed them away. “Just try not to hurt each other. Off with you.”

Enocente rubbed the back of his neck, watching the two walk away, undoubtedly sending insults towards the other. Regardless, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Fuck…” A sniff followed, drawing the man’s attention. 

Enocente rounded the corner and spotted Max walking from the outhouse, his face covered in sweat and visibly shaking. “Max.” 

The boy froze, swearing under his breath. “What?” 

Enocente walked over and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, frowning when he saw the sweat soaking the blue sweater. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Max shrugged off his hand, looking away. “Nothing."

Enocente didn’t buy it. “You’re shaking… and covered in sweat.” He ran his fingers along Max’s forehead, making a face when he looked at his hand. 

He rolled his eyes. “So what? It’s summer.” He used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his face. 

“And you’re wearing a sweater.” Enocente frowned, lightly tugging on the blue sweater. “Take it off or you’re going to get a heat stroke.”

Max looked up at him with a smirk, looking too damn smug. “Man, not even going to buy me dinner first?”

_ “Max _ .”

“What?!” When he saw the stern look, Max lost the smirk and looked down. “It’s hot, so what? I’ll just go to the mess hall, get some water.”

“Since when do you drink water?” Enocente raised his eyebrow when the boy didn’t look at him. “Look at me. Look at me. I’m not trying to scold you, I’m just looking out for your health.”

Max looked at him, his eyes searching. Enocente couldn’t place the look, but that wasn’t the point. “Well?” 

“Fine.” Max took the sweater off, groaning when he noticed that his shirt had a very visible sweat stain. “There, it’s off. Happy?”

“Somewhat.” He pinched Max’s cheek, chuckling at the tiny hands swatting at him. “You’re shaking. Not good. You’re not just sweating because of the heat, aren’t you?”

Max blinked. “What?”

Enocente sniffed the air, scrunching up his nose. “This smell… you threw up just now, didn’t you? It’s not the heat, is it?” 

Max moved back and flinched when Enocente stopped him by placing his hand on his head, moving him back. Max couldn’t help but eye the gloved hand, which really made him feel small. Enocente had a similar thought as he waited for the kid to respond. It must have been quite a sight, a full grown man having a stare down with a sweaty, temperamental midget with an afro.

Oh, how Enocente wanted to laugh now, but he has to adult.

Max broke eye contact first, shifting in place. “I… I might be a little sick.”

Enocente took his hand off his head, raising an eyebrow at the kid. “And you didn’t think to say that?”

He shrugged, fanning his shirt a bit. “I didn’t want David to freak out.”

That was reasonable, but still. “Did you think I would freak out?” 

“No.” He made an odd noise, which made the older man frown.

“Then why didn’t you tell me? If I thought this was a heatstroke, I would definitely have freaked out. Most likely, I would hover over you until you got better.” Enocente kept his voice even, trying to keep him from thinking he’s in trouble. 

Max looked at his shoes, giving a grunt as an answer. Enocente internally flinched. Oh, shit. He’s not talking! He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think of a practical way to approach the kid. Oh, why did kids have to be so difficult? 

Sadly, mother hen mode has been activated. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? Is it your stomach? Eat something bad? Bugs?”

The short kid immediately took offense. “I’m not Nikki!”

Enocente chuckled. “One is already a handful. So what’s wrong?” He knelt down, making sure to be as close to eye-to-eye to Max as possible.

“Why do you care?” He muttered, picking up his sweater. “You’re just trying to get a return on an downpayment.” 

_ Alright, new plan. _ Enocente nodded to himself, hummed, then stood to walk away. “Well, alright. Guess I’ll see you later, Max.”

Enocente missed the confused look on his face. “W-what?” 

“You won’t tell me what’s wrong, and just shrug off my offers for help. Clearly, you don’t want me to help.” He shrugged, facing away from Max.

“Oh.” Max blinked, actually put off. “You gave up fast.”

“And?”

“David wouldn’t give up until I hit him.” Max explained.

Enocente glanced over his shoulder, a nonchalant look on his face. “I’m not David.” Max stared. “Speaking of which, think I’ll go and see what David’s doing. See you at dinner, Shorty.”

Max watched Enocente walk away with confident strides, ones he’s taking to seem convincing. It worked. “W-wait.”

_ Easy _ . Enocente turned, raising an eyebrow. “What? I thought you didn’t want my help.”

“I…” Max stuttered an answer, looking a bit more flushed than before. “You’re… You’re just gonna go?”

“Not if you want help.” Enocente knelt in front of him, using a soft tone to ask, “So, what  _ is  _ wrong?”

Enocente felt his stomach dip when he heard Max whimper, his body shaking a bit as he gagged. “You won’t believe me.”

The man chuckled, smiling kindly at the boy, using both hands to rub his arms, hoping to stop the shaking. “I started a multimillion dollar company while in my twenties. Try me.”

“Harrison…” His voice trailed off, his eyes unable to meet the older man’s.

“What about Harrison?” Enocente tilted his head, patiently waiting for him to answer.

“…” 

Max looked down, making a weird groaning sound, his body starting to give minor jerks as he gagged. Enocente tried to raise Max’s head, but the boy kept trying to turn away. “Max.”

“Harrison put a spell on me.” Max chanced a look up, noticing the perplexed look on Enocente’s face.

“A spell? Okay. Well, I’m sure if you ask nicely-”

“It’s not a fucking game!” Max snapped, grabbing onto his shirt even as his stomach started to churn.

Carefully prying his hands off, Enocente raised his hands. “Calm down, Max.”

“See? I knew you wouldn’t believe me. He made me throw up an etire thing of scarves, for fuck’s sake!” Max groaned, stepping away. “Fucking figures.” 

“Max, magic isn’t real, okay? This isn’t Harry Potter. You can’t just say some made up words and make something happen.” He tried to keep his phone even, hoping to keep Max from getting more angry.

However, before Max could even say anything else, his eyes shot open and he slapped his hands over his mouth. Enocente started to lead him off to the side, out of sight of the other campers. His plan to get Max to the outhouse he just left was shot down the moment Max made a nasty, almost wet choking sound and stopped dead in his tracks. Realising he wasn’t going anywhere, and not wanting to pick him up, thus shaking him around, Enocente gave a reigned grunt then wrapped his arm around him. 

Enocente kept his voice calm to keep Max from panicking, making sure his hold was firm but gentle. “Okay, just breath, here we go.”

Figuring it might take a bit before it’s over, Enocente started to rub his back, making Max lean forward as he gagged. The man carefully patted his back when the bile refused to be returned to its rightful owner. Max leaned forward even more, almost as if he was going to fall over. Must be his lack of breathing, which he guessed can happen, especially if you want to avoid inhaling the stuff. Enocente held the boy a bit closer, crouching down to get a bit more comfortable. At this position it was almost like an awkward hug with Max leaning over his right arm while his head faced away so his right cheek could rest against the back of his head if he wanted to. All while keeping some distance so he wouldn’t get his by any splatter.

_ Would more contact or less contact be better? _ Enocente wondered, glancing down. “Let the saliva build up. Your body knows the stomach fluids are acidic. It’ll protect our teeth.” He told the trembling boy after hearing him spit. 

The man had to resist the urge to gag when he heard a wet splat when it finally let go. Rubbing Max’s back, Enocente gave him soft encouragement, deciding against looking at what was spat up.

Just like good times.

“It… Fuck.” Max sighed loudly, his voice hoarse. “I hate this.”

Enocente smiled, getting ready to comment on his mutterings. Except he unintentionally spotted the mess Max spat up. Carefully moving to knell next to the small pile of colors, utterly befuddled. 

“See?” Max’s voice was the softests that Enocente has ever heard. “I wasn’t lying.”

Enocente reached down, and picked up the playing card from the pile. “Never said you were.”

The card was plain, nothing special about it. It was bent a little, covered in the same fluids that lined Max’s stomach and throat.

The only startling thing was the faintest sign of red along one of the edges.

**Max**

Watching the older man examine the card so intently was a bit unsettling. He seemed tense, almost like he was expecting the card to do something, which was only adding to Max’s unease.

“I’m gonna go sit in the shower.” The boy sighed, wiping some of the tears that built up during his most recent hurl. “Fucking killed by a magic trick.”

“No.” Enocente flicked the card away, picking up Max’s hoodie and taking his hand, started to lead him towards the door to his office. “You won’t.”

Max blinked owlishly at the man as they entered his room. Enocente walked over past the desk to the bed, picked Max up and sat him down on the soft covers. Max watched the man walk to the corner where he picked up a red bag from two others. Max took a moment to look around the room, noticing how the man had added to it. A few shelves full of books lined the walls and there were more boxes filled with random things, supplies he guessed. There was another door that led to the bathroom the counselor got so they didn’t shower with the campers, which was a blessing in Max’s view. There was only one window, located above the desk. The desk was covered in papers that loomed ominously in the light of the window. 

Enocente blocked his view as he finished getting the proper gloves, his leather gloves he wore earlier hanging out his pocket. “Take off your shirt.” He ordered calmly.

Max compiled without complaint. If it meant the pain would go away, he’d turn his head and cough in a moment’s notice. Enocente knelt down and used a stethoscope, quietly pressing the cold end against Max’s stomach. He hummed, taking it off and then pressing it against a different part of his abdomen. 

Enocente took off the stethoscope and pressed his fingertips into his stomach. “Ow. Careful.” Max muttered.

Enocente stood, cand then scooted Max back a bit and then laid him down. His feet were the only things hanging off the edge. The man went to his desk, grabbing several vials filled with oddly colored liquids and powders. Max took notice of some black markings on the man’s arms, just barely peeking out of the short sleeve as he worked. Curiosity peaked, Max desperately wanted to see them, but the mixture poofing drew his attention. Carefully tilting the white bowl into the light, making a face Max couldn’t see.

He turned and sat down on the bed, carefully dipping his finger in the mixture, then carefully started to apply the black fluid on Max’s stomach. With the way he was moving his finger, he was clearly writing something, but when Max tried to raise his head to see, Enocente gently urged him back down. A minute passed and Enocente got up, done with that part. Motioning him to stay down, Enocente retrieved a vial from one of the pouches on his harness, and popped it open, tilting it just enough for a drop of the pink liquid to fall on the markings. The sound of sizzling made Max jump, but the man gently placed his hand on his shoulder, giving him soft assurances that he was going to be okay. Max couldn’t get his hand off him even if he wanted to, so he reluctantly gave in to his orders. Even if the damn thing was  _ smoking _ .

After an ungodly amount of time (like two minutes), Enocente used a white cloth to wipe away what was left on his stomach. “There.” He said after being quiet the entire time.

Max sat up, immediately noticing that the ache in his stomach was gone. His throat was still sore from the throwing up. “Whoa. What’d you do?”

Enocente gave him a shiteating grin. “ _ Magic _ .” 

“Fuck you.”

The man chuckled then retrieved a small flashlight from his puch. “Open.” He examined Max’s mouth, specifically, as much of his throat he could see. “Some lacerations. Nothing serious.” 

Max started at him, waiting for him to say something else. “Oh. Scratches. From the card. Only a few.”

He went into the bathroom then returned with a white pill and a plastic cup of water. “What’s that?”

Enocente held it out. “I just want to make sure your stomach settles. This should help.” Max took it, taking a sip from the cup.

“Oh.” Max nodded, putting on his shirt. When he made to hop off the bed, Enocente raised his hand. “What?”

“Nuh uh.” Enocente pointed to the head of the bed after pulling back the covers. “No activites for you. I’ll tell David you had an upset stomach and I gave you a pill for it. You’re sleeping it off.”

Max blinked, then grinned. “Sweet. Can I get ice cream?” Enocente deadpanned. “Please? I’m reawwy sick.” Max stuck out his lip, trying to give “puppy eyes.”

“Nice try.  _ Maybe  _ mac and cheese.” Enocente untied the boy’s shoes, placing them down neatly, almost robotically. 

As the man finished tidying up his shoes and the medical bag, he proceeded to practically stuff Max under the covers. Which on its own wouldn’t be too bad since they were  _ silk _ , except for one thing: Enocente actually tucked Max in.  _ Tucked. Him. In _ . 

WTF? 

“Please?” Max tried once more when the man picked up his hoodie, taking the phone out to place on the bed, then folded it.

Enocente snorted, draping the blue hoodie over his chair. Then left, uttering, “Not gonna work on me, shorty. I’m immune.” Max sighed as the door shut.

“So close.”

**Enocente**

Next up was Harrison, the supposed “magic kid.” Finding him wasn’t that hard. He and the remaining part of the camp was crowded around the stage Harrison used as the argument between said boy and Neil raged on.

“How did you do it?!” Neil yelled, bags under his eyes. 

Harrison rolled his eyes. “Surely even you must know great magicians never reveal their tricks.”

“Harrison.” Enocente cut in, drawing the attention of all the campers. “Come here.”

“I’ll be right there, sir. I just need to show this fool-”

“Harrison.” The boy flinched. “Now.”

The boy visibly shrunk under his gaze. “Okay.” He hopped off the stage, quickly falling in line behind the man.

“Walk with me.” He turned and walked away, the scared boy following closely.

Enocente walked off towards the deck, glancing back to make sure Harrison awas still following. He didn’t need to since Harrison kapt close, his head down, trying not to make the man angry. Enocente sighed, rubbing his forehead then stopped.

He turned and looked down at Harrison, who was staring at his shoes. “Do you know why I need to talk to you?”

The boy shuffled, staring at the dirt. “No…” 

“I think you do.” Enocente crossed his arms, waiting. When Harrison shrugged, he calmly said, “Think about it.”

The boy bit his lip, his eyes beginning to moisten at the tone of voice. “I dunno…”

He took in a breath, making Harrison flinch. “You were making Max throw up scarves and cards.”

“Sorry…” He mumbled.

“Not gonna cut it.” Enocente’s face softened when he heard him sniff, but he pressed. “He was throwing up since yesterday. He couldn’t eat and could have damaged his teeth.”

“I… I didn’t mean for it to happen. Not to him.”

“To him?” Harrison looked back down fast enough his hat fell off. “Look, it’s bad enough it happened to someone at all.”

“I know. I just can’t help it!” Harrison exclaimed. “No one ever believes me! They say it’s all just sleight of hand, or some kind of trick. It isn’t all tricks!”

“What about your parents? They must support you if you’re here for magic camp.” Enocente regretted his words when he saw some tears roll down his cheeks.  _ Shit _ .

“They do… but they’re afraid of me.” 

“ _ What _ ?” Enocente was absolutely befuddled. “How can your parents be afraid of you?”

Harrison racked his hands through his hair, looking ready to tear his hair out. “They think it’s unnatural! That I’m some sort of freak! They said I made my brother disappear!”

Enocente looked down. “I don’t even have a brother…”

That was something. Enocente scratched his chin. They sound… troubled, to put it nicely. Maybe he should call them. Aside from this, Harrison couldn’t have been a nicer kid. He likes to joke and laugh, and he loved it when he amazed the other campers with his tricks. Enocente liked the kid, especially since he’s following his dreams with a smile, as cheesy as that may sound to someone else. 

Harrison started to cry, which drew Enocente out of his thoughts. As he was lost in his thoughts, he was staring at the boy for over a minute. Had he been paying attention, he would have noticed Harrison start shifting on his feet, his eyes getting wet, and his breathing getting faster. Knowing he had to do something, Enocente stepped forward.

“Come on, bud. It’s okay.” Keeping his tone soft and moving slowly so as not to startle him, he reached out. “Come here.”

Enocente knelt down, placing a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze when the boy practically bolted into him. The man, once again, was extremely confused. Small arms wrapped around his neck, an equally small face pressing into the crook of his neck. Enocente blinked then wrapped his arms around Harrison, using one hand to rub his back, gently shushing him and pressing his head against his, providing as much contact as possible. He could feel his shoulder getting wet, Harrison was crying, although he wasn’t making much noise. They remained that way for a while, the man waiting for the boy to calm down enough.

_ When giving someone a hug, never be the one to pull away.  _ Enocente told himself.  _ But damn, my day is burning away. Fuck it. Worth it. _

Eventually Harrison’s breathing evened out, so Enocente decided to speak. “Alright?”

Harrison pulled away to look Enocente in the eyes, his own puffy and red. He then asked a single question, one that made Enocente’s heart ache: 

“Are you mad at me?”

_ Fuck _ . Enocente tried not to hesitate. “No, buddy. I’m not mad.” Harrison stared at him expectantly. “I’m not disappointed, either. I know what it’s like to try to prove myself, for better or worse.”

Harrison looked so damn relieved Enocente couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

“I expect you to apologize to Max later, got it?” Enocente poked him on the nose.

The boy’s face seemed a bit red, but he was smiling. “Okay, I can do that! I’ll do it right now!”

“Hold your horses, squirt.” Enocente chuckled, standing up. “Max is resting right now. Besides, if he hears I talked to you and you apologize right away, he’ll think it’s just because I told you.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Harrison scratched his head, looking sheepish. 

“Just run along to do what you normally do. Oh, and take it easy on the nerd, okay?” Enocente picked up the tophat off the ground and placed it on the boy’s head.

Harrision grinned then turned to run off, only to stop. He rushed back and gave a quick hug before running off. “Oh, to be young again.”

Once the sun started to go down, enocente checked in on Max three times. Two out of three he was asleep, looking peaceful, just wrapped up in the blankets. Enocente smiled when he saw it. 

Peering down at him while he slept, he chuckled, “Who knew such a ball of terror could be so cute.” He gently patted the boy’s head, marveling at how soft it was.

The third time around Max was awake, and hungry. Oh, he did not like being compared to a cranky baby. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

“So?” Enocente smirked, placing a bowl of mac and cheese on the desk as Max went to the bathroom. “I’m just trying to show my baby how much I love him!”

“Baby talk? Seriously?” Max glared at him, his hands wet as he snatched his food.

Enocente sat down in his chair, reading a book. “I can’t help it. You’re so small and cute.” He smiled at Max who was blushing.

“Ass.”

“Oh, did I hurt your feelings? I’m sorry.” He pursed his lips, pinching his cheeks. “Forgive me?”

Max slapped the hand away, trying to keep his food in the bowl. “Damnit! Stop!”

“How dare you disrespect your mother?!” Enocente took on an overly dramatic tone, pretending to cry, making Max laugh. “I raised you, fed you, and wiped your ass!”

Max rolled his eyes. “I would never let you anywhere near my ass.”

Enocente nodded in agreement. “I agree. Your ass would probably have a lot of shit left over.”

“I know how to wipe my ass!” Max grumbled, stuffing his mouth full of food. When he noticed that Enocente was smirking. “What?”

“Man. Did you ever think you would tell some random man that you know how to wipe your own ass?” Enocente was chuckling through the whole thing.

The boy blushed, even when he turned his head away, the blush could be seen on his ears. “S-shut up. Will you leave me alone so I can eat?”

“Never!”

The two spent the rest of the evening talking, joking and laughing. Eventually, Max got drowsy, so Enocente ushered him back under the covers. He spent some time running his fingers through his hair, giving his head light scratches and rubs, and Max fell asleep quickly. 

Enocente looked at his book, closed it and set it aside. He got up and turned off the light, knowing he wouldn’t be able to read like he wanted. “Worth it,” he sighed. His phone started to ring.

“Fuck’s sake.”

**Max**

The morning was peaceful, and apparently Enocente was making sure he wanted to make sure he was taken care of. How did he know this? He had breakfast delivered to him, by Gwen. Apparently, Enocente got a call and he had to leave for a bit so he charged Gwen to check in on him. Not that she believed he was actually sick. Max felt disappointed, especially when Gwen seemed to think he was faking it. He wasn’t! Although he hated Gwen for not believing him, the soft, smooth covers he was wrapped in made it better. Silk. Silk was from heaven, and nothing could convince him otherwise. Rolling into a burrito, Max drifted to sleep.

Only to be awakened later by what could only be described as an “absolute ruckus.”

“God damn it. I don’t have coffee…” Max glared at the door. “Someone’s going to die.” He decreed, throwing off the covers and got dressed.

Normally seeing so many people he didn’t know would have set Max on edge, especially when he spotted their sidearms, but they acted in a manner that really didn’t match their title of “private security force.” 

They didn’t seem to mind any of the children’s attention nor their numerous questions. They did have slight issues with questions directed towards their guns, but it was mostly because they didn’t want to get in trouble with their boss for showing their guns to a bunch of kids. Max had to agree with that since he’s heard of stories where kids shoot themselves or others because they were holding a loaded gun, and if he was being honest, and he was, they really shouldn’t be trusted not to shoot each other on purpose.

Currently a tent with a wooden floor had been set up with the computers a router was the focus of everyone’s attention. Once the computers had gotten hooked up, there was an immediate demand to see the games that were available. The men didn’t seem to mind, probably not being told they were intended to have  _ some  _ educational purposes. Max’s face lit up the moment he saw that one of the games already installed was Rainbow Six Siege on the desktop, however, that computer was the only one that did, so now everyone was waiting for the game to download on the other computers while they took turns playing the game. The carefree attitude of the guards and the excitement shared by everyone as they played created a fun environment, one that even David was reluctant to dampen, even though he didn’t like them playing such a violent game.

A woman ushered most of them out, leaving a single guard with the kids, who were eagerly waiting for their turn. Max had been surprised by how much was being moved in. New kitchen equipment, tents, cots and equipment of the other “camps” like archery and the weight lifting equipment. According to David, who asked the woman in charge of the shipment, Enocente had put a lot of money into this place, and was now working with Campbell to ensure he gets his money’s worth this time.

When  _ Max  _ asked, however, the woman said Enocente was doing this for a few reasons, one of which was to keep his mind off the attack on his facility. Then there was the fact that Enocente kept missing Campbell, and the hope is that one of his guards will spot him, and question him. Apparently, not all of the equipment came in yet, so there would be people dropping things off for the next week or so. The other reason, much to Max’s irritation, was kept from him, as the woman wasn’t permitted to give away too much.

Max decided that he didn’t really care so he decided to make his way back to his tent after snagging his stuff. He smiled in approval at the new tents, which were waterproof, or at least more likely to keep water out, especially with the tarp that was set up over the tent. Max ducked inside and pulled his bags over to his little cot, which was considerably softer and much higher quality than the last. He set his bag under the bed and plopped down, pulling out David’s phone to look for something to occupy his time.

The internet situation was a lot better now, so binging youtube videos was much easier, but he still needed to go to one of the buildings to charge it, which was more of an issue now that he’s able to use it constantly. Regardless, Max now has a lot of reasons to ditch the camp activities when he can.

After a while, Max slipped off his cot and opened his bag. Taking a quick look around, and going as far as to actually zip the flap close, he slipped his hand under his spare clothes and pulled his closest friend out.

Max held Mr. HoneyNuts to his chest, minding the tears that appeared over the years. Speaking of which, there was a new one that he desperately wanted to fix, but he had to ask Gwen or David for the needle and thread. He didn’t want to talk to either of them for different reasons. It was a tear around the base of the head, and it was getting really close to just coming off, so there was even greater care when handling it now. 

“Fucking asshole…” Max shook his head, making sure the tear didn’t get bigger as he put the bear back in its hiding place.

His dad had found the bear again and tried tossing it out. The bear had got caught on something that was also getting tossed out, a broken plate or mug, so Max nearly tore its head off when he freed it. The ends were frayed since the sharp edge only punctured it, but it was the weight that kept it from moving easily, and Max was pulling the bear up. He was in a hurry to get the bear free so he could quickly stuff it in his bag then rush out to the bus, and the fact he was technically the cause for the damage just pissed Max off, even though he mostly blamed his dad for tossing it out in the first place.

Sighing loudly, Max put the bear back and left his tent to make his way to the mess hall, intent on getting some more coffee. Max sat down at a table, the steaming mug of coffee sitting in front of him when David decided to ruin his good mood.

“I see that you’ve been enjoying camp a lot more now!” The man just beamed at the boy.

Max took in a big breath. “Go. Away. Camp man.”

“Come on, Max. I know you are actually loving camp now.” David grinned, his good mood not at all dampered by Max’s.

Max glared at David. “It’ll be a cold day in hell when that happens.” He sighed. “Why can’t you bother someone else?”

“Come on, Max. I know you and Enocente have been hanging out a lot. I think we should spend some one-on-one time too!” David suggested.

Max shuddered at the thought. “You know, some parents might find that concerning.”

David’s eye twitched, but he managed to keep his smile on his face. “Now why can he get to spend time with you without complaint, but I do?”

“First off, he doesn’t force me to be happy like you. Secondly, he doesn’t talk too much. We just hangout, in peace.” Max listed off. “Where is he, anyway?”

David got that same damn face he made whenever he talked about Campbell. “Oh, you know. Working nonstop to change the world.”

**Enocente**

“So what the hell happened to your property?”

Enocente shrugged carelessly, slightly annoyed. “You can have everything. I don’t have two hundred dollars, or two hundred dollars in property.” 

“Then you lose!” The blond guy, his new PA, yelled.

Enocente threw his arms up, getting fed up, tossing the little metal shoe into the air. “That’s what I said!”

“Then why did you punch me?!” Adrien jumped up, dropping his monopoly money onto the table. 

“BECAUSE I DON’T GIVE A FUCK!” 

**Max**

“He’s a real hero.”

Max rolled his eyes, smirking. “Careful, David. I think you’re drooling.”

David rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with admiring great people.”

“He’s fun, I’ll give you that, but great? That’s a stretch.” Max shrugged.

“What about all the things he did for the camp?” David gestured towards everything around them.

“The internet’s good, but he rigged it so it’ll shut off at like, seven. Same with the computers.” Max complained.

“He said children need their sleep, especially you.” David promptly put his finger in Max’s face.

The boy blinked, then glared at the man, offended. “Why me? What’d you tell him?”

“He says the bags under your eyes made him worried.” 

Max sighed loudly, swearing under his breath. “I get sleep.”

“Not enough. And Mr. Vero knows best!” David grinned.

“And how would he know anything about kids?” Max asked, suddenly looking startled. “Hold up!  _ He  _ has kids?”

David blinked. “Um, well, no. He has had foster children.” The happy man grinned even wider. “He opened his home and his heart to so many of those who need it.”

Max went quiet for a moment. It actually made sense now that he thought about it. A lot of kids in the system tend to be a bit… troubled, and so are the campers. Enocente fostering so many of them for a long time helps explain how he’s so good at dealing with them. 

“No wonder he’s so fucked up.” Max shrugged.

“Max!”

Max started laughing, only to yelp when Gwen appeared out of nowhere and pinched his cheek. “Alright, that’s enough, brat. Time for activities.” 

“Ow, damnit!” Max squiremed out of her grasp and rubbed his cheek. “Fine, but only because I get to watch David cry when Nurf beats the shit out of him.”

One of the things that Enocente sent was a few pairs of boxing gloves, along with some padding that was usually used in CQC training, meant to get punched and maybe hit back, but Enocente wanted David to just let Nurf hit the padding. There was also some paper with words like “anxiety,” “insecurity,” and other words. Basically, if Nurf was feeling something was bothering him, he could essentially punch his problems.

Max just wanted to see David get the joy knocked out of him. “What’s wrong David? Scared?” Max accused with a smirk.

“No, I just think we can help Nurf without violence.” David admitted.

Gwen shook her head. “I don’t really like it either, but Enocente said if he doesn’t get a safe outlet for his anger, he’ll really hurt one of the other campers.”

David looked down. “I know, but why can’t we just try hugs? Hugs always made me feel better.”

“Because this isn’t about you. Not everyone's the same, so that means we all react differently to trauma, and need a unique method to help.” Gwen explained, placing her hand on David’s shoulder.

“Did Enocente tell you that, too?” Max asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, but I took psychology, so I already know a thing or two.” Gwen said proudly.

“And yet, you work  _ here _ .” Max retorted. 

Gwen’s eyes narrowed as she made to grab Max. “Look here, you little…” 

David placed his hand on Max’s shoulder, gaining his attention. “Now, now. There’s no reason for bad language. Let’s head outside and start our activities.”

“Nope.” Max took a swig from his mug. “I need to finish my coffee before yard time.”

David scooped the boy up and made his way toward the exit. “We already lost a lot of time, so I am not taking no for an answer.”

“I’m sure those guards will help me if I call for help.” Max was dangling from under David’s arm.

“All we’re going to do is watch David get beat up, then we’ll have dinner, okay?” Gwen said, bending down to meet Max’s eyes, a smirk on her face.

“It’s a safe outlet for his anger.” David corrected, stepping outside with Max still being held like a sack of potatoes. 

Max smirked, managing to squirm out of his grasp, climbed up and forced David’s head to face him. “And that outlet means you get your ass kicked.”

David gulped when they got out to the “yard” and Nurf was already there, his boxing gloves on. Max and Gwen set up foldable chairs so everyone could watch the show.

“Bet Enocente is bored out of his mind right now.” Max stated. Gwen chuckled as she watched David get punched.

“I’ll bet.”

**Enocente**

Gun dealers are a different breed, which becomes apparent to those who meet them. As such, when the gun dealer came in, with the shipment, and brought ten  _ more  _ guards than was agreed upon, Enocente wasn’t surprised. His guards, however, were  _ beyond  _ pissed. Still, he couldn’t help but smile, knowing they all were one wrong move away from a small firefight in the cramped cargo bay. Enocente looked up, taking his hand off the revolver on his hip when several crates were dropped in front of him, and were being pried open while a grumpy dealer was staring at Enocente. His sunglasses hid the man’s eyes, but he knew he was staring. So were his guards, 

_ I hate it when I can’t see your eyes. Can’t tell if you’re staring at me, or not. Kinda creepy, actually. _ Enocente thought.

Thomas opened the create, examining the guns inside. “Not bad. For Goodwill.”

“ _ Tommy _ .” Enocente glared at the man, who ignored him.

Adrien peered inside, his eyes wide. He reached inside and pulled a rifle out, beaming like a child on Christmas morning, missing the guards around him tensing. “Shiny…” 

“Adrien? Aren’t you forgetting something?” Enocente looked down at his sad excuse of a PA.

The blond blinked. “Oh!” He turned to the gundealer. “Thank you for the shiny new gun.”

Enocente sighed. “For the love of…”

He moved over then promptly smacked him over the back of his head, making the blond drop the gun and shield his head. “Ow! That  _ hurt _ . I thought we were friends.” He stared up at Enocente with puppy eyes.

They were not very effective. “I know the seminar said we’re not supposed to ask, but with you, I don’t think I have to.” Enocente smirked at the blush that formed on the blond’s face.

Suddenly a big arm got in between the two. “Hey! Look, we got a job to do and you’re both making this a somewhat uncomfortable environment.” Thomas pushed them apart with a glare.

The gun dealer's guards drew their small arms and aimed at the three. Enocente blanched then drew a revolver from under his coat, aiming it at them. 

“Fick mich.”

**Max**

After watching David get beat by a kid, it was time for dinner, which will most likely be just as disappointing as it usually was, but at least there was decent entertainment.

“You’re pathetic, you know that?” Max asked as he watched David hold ice packs to his bruised arms, tears rolling down his face.

“I agree.” Gwen said.

“I wish we could just use hugs.” 

Max rolled his eyes. “Can’t believe you’re still going on about that. He’d probably punch your hug in the face.” He walked over and lightly punched him in the arm. “Just like that.”

“Max, don’t hit people. It’s mean.” David reprimanded, only it didn’t work.

“Fuck you, David.” Max flipped him off for good measure.

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Okay, you little shit. Ready to eat, or is your tummy still upset?” She smirked, still not believing he was sick.

Max glared at her. “I  _ was  _ sick. Ask Enocente when he gets back.”

“Uh huh.” She walked off into the kitchen.

Max crossed his arms, sitting down in his seat, soon joined by Nikki and a nervous looking Neil. “Max?”

“Yeah?” Max looked over at the taller boy, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Um, I’d like to say that I’m sorry.”

Green eyes stared, clearly confused. “For what?”

“For not realising you were hurt.” Neil answered.

“I threw up feathers and scarves.” Max glared at him. “How could you  _ not  _ have realised?” 

Neil chuckled nervously. “Okay, maybe I did. But I was too focused on trying to figure out the trick that I ignored you and didn’t take what you were going through seriously.”

Max shifted in his seat, not sure how to react to the apology. “I need to apologize too.”

Harrison tried to smile, even as Max flinched, trying to put some distance between them. “You just keep your distance.”

“I’m sorry. I overreacted. Even though I didn't mean for you to get hit with it, I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. I wasn’t thinking straight. I have my reasons, not that it makes it any better.”

“And those reasons are?” Max asked while raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m not really comfortable talking about it. I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry. I hope we can start over?” Harrison held his hand out, his face red in mild embarrassment.

Max eyed the gloved hand suspiciously. “Maybe.” His eyes narrowed as he slowly reached out, taking the offered hand. “Try that again, I’ll kick you in the nuts.”

Harrison chuckled, looking relieved. “Deal.”

Favid gushed, his eyes shining as he watched the two boys shake hands. “See this, everyone. This is the power of friendship.”

“God, David. You make me wish Enocente was here, even though he acts like a real idiot sometimes.” Max placed his chin on the table.

Harrison smiled. “He can be a little… intense.”

David responded, “He’s not that bad.”

Enocente kicked in the doors, both slamming into the walls, one of them coming off the hinges a bit. Enocente was wearing boxing gloves and the moment he spotted them, he grinned widely, hitting them together.

“Which one of you pipsqueak fucks wants to fight? Huh? Get slapped hard?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, some real basic jokes and references. I think that will be the biggest references that will ever be in there. If you are aching for it, Dadvid will be included soon, most likely the next chapter, and definitely the seventh chapter.
> 
> It's chapter title is called "The Incident". 
> 
> You know... 
> 
> As usual, leave a comment on how I'm doing and if there's any major grammar/spelling errors.
> 
> Love you, your comments make my heart race and my face heat up like I'm talking to a crush.
> 
> Honest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments, even the one about this fic being their crush (not sure how that'll work but a woman married a Ferris wheel so it's not too weird).
> 
> On an unrelated note, there are a lot of stories that say that English isn't their first language, so excuse their grammar and such. How many of those are true? I'm sure some do, but surely some are just excuses so some readers don't talk shit about their writing? IDK.
> 
> A lot longer than I thought, but I can rant even in writing. Next chapter will be a bit more serious, and we'll start seeing more Dadvid. So look forward to that and enjoy the story.

#  Chapter 6: Going for a ride and starting a bar fight, the ideal bonding experience.

**Enocente**

_ “The arms have been delivered to the outpost in Austin.” _

Enocente hummed. “Have the boys start drills. I don’t want to see anyone fumble anything when I visit.”

_ “Yes, sir.” _

“Be a good lad and tell Adrien to suck a big dick for me.” Enocente hung up, setting his phone down. “Man…” 

Enocente could feel his back begin to ache, which really was depressing. He really wanted to go to sleep, just give up on this day. His bed has never seemed so appealing. Sadly, there was a rat in his bed.

“You know, I don’t mind you skipping activity. I don’t mind you hanging around me when you do, but do you  _ have  _ to steal my bed when you do?” Enocente stared down at the small lump on his bed.

When he didn’t get an answer, he reached in, grabbed Max by his ankle, and pulled him out. The boy started to whine, still clinging to the blanket as he was held upside down. Enocente started to shake him, but Max refused to let go.

“Let go.” Enocente stepped back, only managing to pull the blanket off the bed onto the floor.

“No.” Max pulled the blanket to his face, not wanting to lose the warmth of the soft fabric.

The man shook him up and down, sighing. “The good bed is for me or sick campers. You’re not sick or me.”

“But I  _ am _ ,” he whined. 

“No, you are not. Now, off. Let go. Drop it. Drop it.” Enocente let go of one of his ankles, using his hand to poke Max’s exposed belly.

Max blushed, dropped the blanket and pushed his shirt down. “I don’t want to. You’re not using it.”

Enocente lowered Max, letting his head touch the floor. “Not the point. Off my bed.” He dropped him the rest of the way.

“You suck,” he declared from the floor.

Enocente turned to a very special machine on his desk, muttering, “And you need to think of more creative insults.” 

“Are you done with your work?” Max asked, spying the stack of papers again.

He sighed, “No. Got some more things to do.”

“You’ve been working forever.” 

“An exaggeration.” Enocente said with a small smile.

Max gave him a blank stare. “It’s almost noon.”

“Hmm, that would explain why I’m so hungry.” Enocente stated flatly.

Max grinned. “Think they’re serving burgers for lunch?”

“Maybe. Hamburger meat was delivered the other day.” 

The boy’s stomach rumbled at the thought of a big, juicy burger. “Let’s go see, then.”

Enocente shook his head. “Got to finish this first, or it won’t get finished at all.” He turned on the machine, placing a mug under a nozzle. 

As it whirred to life, Enocente felt his head jerk as he fought to keep his eyes open, taking in a sharp breath, only to feel another urge to sleep again. Max plopped himself back onto the bed, having put his shoes and sweater back on, he watched as the man seemed to titer one way or another. A beep drew their attention and Max watched with wide eyes as light brown liquid poured into the mug.

Enocente picked up the mug, and risked a sip of the hot liquid, smiling at the pain the heavenly liquid went down. “Fuck…” He moaned. 

Hearing a small clink, he looked down and spotted Max placing a spare mug under the nozzle. Clearly he intended on getting some coffee as well. Absentmindedly, he wondered if Max would be okay with the little latte, seeing as how anytime he’s seen him with coffee, it was black. Max hopped up in order to reach a button, the beep making Enocente wake up more. The whirr and then the subreasquient pour of the caffeine filled beverage spurred him into action, although he was feeling too tired. Enocente reached down and snatched the mug away before Max could get it himself, placing it out of reach.

“Gimme.” Max demanded, glaring up at the man. 

“No.” He downed the rest of his own coffee, then turned the machine off, planning to sit down. 

“But I need it.” Max jumped on the desk, so Enocente grabbed him, throwing the boy over his shoulder. “Put me down, damn it!”

“Nah.”

“But- but… I  _ need  _ it!” Max exclaimed, attempting to squirm out of his grasp.

“You don’t.” 

Max nearly fell to the floor as he clamored over the man’s shoulder. “But I do! I haven’t had any today!”

Enocente rolled his eyes, grabbing the boy by his arm, maneuvering him to his front. “You did.”

Max blushed once he realized he was being held on the man’s hip, as if he was a toddler. “I didn’t!” He yelled, climbing up and placing his hands on the man’s head.

“I seent it,” he replied calmly, not bothered by his mood.

Max grabbed a fistful of hair, giving a tug, but he didn’t react. “You were seeing things,” Max declared.

“My eyes work just fine.” He opened the door, holding the boy out like one would a trash bag.

In a desperate attempt, he exclaimed, “You’re going senile!” 

“I’m not  _ that  _ old.” Max continued to thrash around in his hands, but Enocente just smiled and dropped him outside the door. “Goodbye, Max.”

“But-”

“Nope.” He slammed the door in his face, locking the door, ignoring the swears that followed.

He turned to the desk, spying the delicious drink, but his heart ached when he smelled the heart attack inducing sugar/cream. Or whatever was in it. He really didn’t care so long as he got through the day. He sighed and grabbed his blanket, making his bed. He regretted it as soon as he was done, feeling more tired. 

He plopped down on the bed, spreading out, his back sending out a mix of pleasurable pain that just made him want to just sleep. “Five minutes.” He told himself, closing his eyes.

His eyes opened when he felt a small weight land on his stomach. He stared up at Max, letting out a groan. “What the fuck, Max?”

The boy stared at him, not reacting. “Why are you staring at me, weirdo?” He reached up and poked his nose. “Weirdy.” 

Max lowered himself, pressing his face into Enocente’s neck. The boy nuzzled, letting out a sigh, making Enocente wonder if he was upset, not that it helped him feel better about the kid nuzzling him. The man frowned and awkwardly patted his head, but froze when Max opened his mouth, his warm breath making the skin on his neck tingle in an unpleasant way. Before he could move the boy away, Max opened his mouth and sank his teeth into his neck, puncturing his flesh. Enocente jumped up, throwing Max off with a yell, a chunk of his neck tearing away. His hand slapped against his neck, the blood pouring from the bite as he looked around with wide eyes.

The room was empty.

Enocente continued to pant, his eyes suddenly unable to really focus on anything. He couldn’t even hear anything, his ears ringing. Eventually the ringing stopped, but everything was muffled, the only discernible sound was his racing heart. Unable to slow his breathing, granted he couldn’t really feel himself breathing, he tried to focus his eyes on anything in the room. His entire body was tensed, so much that he couldn’t move. He looked down at his arm, seeing the veins bulge against his skin, feeling his blood boil in them as they flowed. After a while, which felt like an eternity, he was able to start moving his fingers. Feeling was beginning to return, and the the noise in his ears receded as his heart slowed. Slowly he moved one arm around, feeling pins and needles all along it. He began to freak out a bit more when he felt liquid under his other hand, the one that was on his neck. He slowly removed his hand from his neck and looked at it. Fortunately, the only liquid on his hand was sweat. 

He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He shook his head when he realised he wasn’t asleep for very long. He let out a shaky breath, looking down at his feet. He shifted on the bed, still looking down. Lowering himself and tucking his legs up enough that his head was pressed in between his knees. His fingers gripped his hair, not caring that some hair was being torn out. He kept taking in deep breaths, only to let out shaky breaths, unable to get himself to calm down enough.

“Shit…” 

**Max**

Lunch had been enjoyable, seeing as there were indeed hamburgers, but Max was unable to find anything interesting to do. Even Neil and Nikki seemed at a loss. Currently lacking the usual crazy adventure falling into their laps, Max was forced to find another means of spending his time. 

Which is why he was currently tugging off the tarp that was draped over Enocente’s bike. Once it was revealed to the light, Max couldn’t help but gape at it. The bike was mainly black, but the handlebars were painted gold, and it gleamed in the sunlight. Max ran his hands over them, the metal smooth and the grips were actually metal instead of leather, like he had expected. The paint job on the fuel tank drew Max’s attention. It was a fairly simple design of a serpent with a golden body, a few spots of red on its underbelly, and a purple eye, biting its own tail, making a circle. The only thing that was a bit odd was that the serpent’s body was wrapped around a eye with a red iris. The other side of the tank had the same design. 

Deciding to snoop, Max tried to open the saddlebags, but they had proper locks on them, so he wasn’t able to open them. They did have flaming skulls on them, so that was cool. Max climbed on, quickly noticing he was unable to reach the handlebars, and his feet were just dangling since they were too short. Not one to be hindered by his height, Max fiddled around, looking for a way to start the bike, wondering if he’ll be able to get farther than when he took the bus. There was a button on the right handle, right next to the throttle. He pressed it, the click oddly satisfying, but nothing happened. Max leaned back, trying to figure out how to start the bike.

Sadly, a thought crossed his mind. Surely, this bike was obviously a custom model, probably a few years old at least, and Enocente most likely had been the one to make said modifications. He  _ must  _ care about the bike. With a slight tug on the handlebars, Max assumed (correctly) that if he knocked it over, he would not be able to lift the thing, so the idea of actually messing with it suddenly didn’t seem so appealing.

But the fact that messing with someone suddenly feeling like a bad idea was something startling, but the man in question interrupted his musings before they went far enough. 

Enocente jingled the keys in front of his eyes, a smirk on his face. “Looking for something?”

“A reason to live.” Mac stated flatly.

“Tacos?” Enocente smirk got bigger, so Max couldn’t help but chuckle. “You shouldn’t try to steal my bike.”

“Sure.” Max shrugged, feeling disappointed.

“You must ride it like you stole it, and seeing as you can hardly reach the handle bars, you ain’t stealing shit.” The man laughed, enjoying Max’s huff. 

“Laugh it up while you can. You’re gonna wake up one day and this shit’s gonna be gone.” 

The man rolled his eyes, not believing him for a second. “I’ll worry about that if you ever get taller.”

“It can happen. I’m a growing boy.” Max defended himself, sending a half hearted glare at the man. 

“Define growing.” 

Smug ass… 

As the two traded a few qips at each other, the boy noticed Enocente was wearing his leather jacket, the same one he was wearing when he first arrived, making Max raise an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?”

“If there wasn’t an oompa loompa sitting on my Harley.” His eyes were practically glowing with amusement. Enocente’s laugh was infectious, which neither man or child minded. 

“I guess you don’t know much about motorcycles?” Enocente asked, genuinely curious. Max shook his head. “Well, if you’re ever gonna steal one, you need to know how to work it.”

Max blinked, then grinned as Enocente moved him off so he could sit down. As Enocente showed him what each little button, lever and handle did, Max found himself focusing so much he didn’t notice that the smile the man wore never once left his face. 

“And to start it, you need to be able to hold the handles and actually reach the starter pedal. So getting a bike made for your size is important. It isn’t like driving a snowmobile.” He explained.

He continued to explain, even starting the bike, showing him how to shift and walk it forward. Enocente explained that laying a bike down, where it falls over during an attempt to avoid a crash, a bad turn, or having bad balance when idling can be one of the worst things he could do as a biker. Especially if it’s a Harley. The bike he was on right now was around 500 pounds, with most of the necessary mods taken off. He owns two others, one almost the same weight as this one, the other was much heavier. It was heavily modified, and with the materials used it weighed around 900 pounds. Max found it a bit hard to believe, but when Enocente told him it could hold two adults comfortably, luggage, and even stereo with speakers, it made a little more sense. It was a touring model. If it tipped over, it took at least three, strapping young men to pick the damn thing up. After it happened three times, he deemed it necessary to put the bike away for a while. 

It was too damn heavy.

Enocente got on the bike, turning it on and gestured to the saddlebag on his right. “Open it.” He tossed a small key to the boy.

Max fiddled with the lock and after opening the bag, he fished out a helmet, which Enocente quickly claimed. The two sat on the bike while the man showed him how things worked, like the clutch and such. Eventually they were doing lazy loops around the camp, just enjoying the rumble of the bike and the wind blowing by. Max, riding in the seat behind Enocente, was holding onto the man, although he knew that if he fell it wouldn’t hurt that much. Still, he was enjoying himself, but the man refused to go any faster or anywhere far from the camp.

It was David who had an issue with it. “Max, what are you doing?!”

Enocente stopped, turning his head towards David while Max answered, “Having fun?”

“You should be wearing a helmet.” David marched up to them, frowning.

Enocente commented, “He’ll be fine. Little brain damage never hurts anybody.” 

“As the main counselor, I must insist that you stop and get him a helmet.” David put his foot down, literally.

Max could hear Enocente scoff as he shook his head. “I crashed the bus and you weren’t worried.” 

David flinched as Enocente sent a look towards him, the helmet created an intimidating look, especially since it looked like a helmet a soldier would wear. “No buts. You are not riding a bike without proper safety equipment.” 

Enocente, impressed that David knew how to say no, revved the bike, taking his feet off the ground. “You’ll have to catch us first!”

Max understood what he was doing, so he slapped his arm and yelled, “Go!” Enocente laughed as they sped off, kicking dirt up into the air. “Fuck you, David!”

Said man could only cough, his eyes watering as he blinked furiously to get the dirt out. The sound of the motorcycle fading away demoralised the man, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. Determined, David got into the car and started to drive after them. Only for the car to stop as soon as he made it past the entrance.

He had run out of gas.

**Enocente**

The roads leading out of the camp were perfect for driving at high speed, for maximum fun. Max’s own shouting for greater speed solidified that thought. As such, Enocente would speed down the road, turn down a gradual turn, reach the first proper road, then finally turn to do the same. Eventually they would find a different path, one that would wind, and going fast is extremely.

Which is why it's so much fun.

Slowing to a stop, Enocente turned off the Harley, making sure the kickstand was down before leaning back. “Good?” Enocente took off his helmet, watching as Max hopped off.

The boy was grinning, “That was amazing!” He was practically jumping around in excitement. “I need to get one.”

“You might want to start with something lighter first. Maybe a dirtbike. Then go up as you get used to it. Who knows? You might not like  _ driving  _ a motorcycle.”

“It’ll still be pretty cool to own one.” Max stated with a shrug.

“Remember the big Harley I have at home? That cost a lot of money, and I don’t really ride it anymore, so unless I sell it or start riding, it’s essentially a waste of money.”

“I guess.”

“So you better make sure it’s for you before you commit, understand?” He pointed at Max.

Max nodded. “Sure.”

The man smiled, looking pleased. “Good. I think we can afford to be out a bit longer. Feel like looking for a restaurant?”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Max quickly hopped back on, bounding in his seat, making Enocente chuckle.

Deciding to fill their bellies, Enocente drove around, spotting a few small places, but was waiting for something good. He noticed a few disapproving looks from some random passersby. Those people got the middle finger. 

“Hmm. Ahh…!” Enocente pulled into a parking lot, spotting a restaurant that had a big burger on the front. It was a good ol fashioned bar & grill. “Might as well.”

When they entered, Max was quick to comment, “This place is a dump.”

“And that’s why we’re here. This is the kind of dive my dad would take me.” He walked to a booth, being led by some blond girl. “Beer, smoke, yelling, questionable stains and greasy burgers.”

“So what will you boys have to drink today?” The waitress asked when they sat in a booth.

Enocente hummed, “Maybe… Oh, Fanta, bitte.” 

She turned towards Max. “I’ll take a fanta, too.”

Enocente grinned. “That’s my boy!” He held up his fist.

Max rolled his eyes, but bumped his fist against his. “Alright, I’ll be back with your drinks and take your orders.” The waitress winked at Enocente, but he ignored her.

“So, think you’ll go for a steak? Or maybe some fish? Oh, they have salmon!” Enocente swallowed the saliva that was filling his mouth at the thought of some salmon.

“You sound fat.” Max smirked.

“I wonder if it's a fillet or if it's whole? Maybe some cod?” Enocente was drooling, completely missing Max’s insult. “I can afford some extra calories.”

Max shook his head, smiling as he looked over the menu, but as he started to narrow down his choices, he noticed some were well over ten bucks. “So, what are you getting?”

Enocente opened his mouth to answer, but closed it when the waitress returned with their drinks, a contemplative look on his face. “Here’s your drinks, boys. You ready to order?”

“We might need a few more minutes.” 

Enocente glanced over, noticing her top had a few more buttons undone than before. When she left, he almost burst out laughing when he saw Max look away from the waitress, his eyes wide and face red. 

“Ah, my boy is growing up so fast.” Enocente grinned. 

Max blinked. “What?” 

“Nothing.” He smiled down at his menu. “Maybe I’ll get the cod, with some lemon, fries and some greens.”

Max nodded, looking down. He frowned when he started to eye the steak, one that cost a bit over 15 bucks. “I might just get a burger.” He looked at said food, which cost only 8 bucks, but didn’t look as good.

Enocente rubbed his chin, quietly examining the boy across from him. “For someone who terrorizes everyone that crosses his path, you seem awfully uncomfortable.”

Max flinched. “I’m not uncomfortable.”

“Would you hesitate to order if it was David paying?”

“How would you know what I would do?” Max demanded with a glare.

Enocente raised an eyebrow. “There is no accounting for the human condition, but people are easier to predict if you have a lot of experience.”

“So with age comes wisdom?” Max asked.

“There’s a story about a man who went to a forest with massive trees, and asks the trees for a branch to make an axe.” Enocente leaned back, his gaze fixed on his emerald eyes. 

Max raised an eyebrow. “Are the trees alive?” 

“I guess.” Enocente shrugged. “They didn’t want to give up one of their branches, so they have him a young sapling. A child, if you will.” 

Max frowned. “That sucks.”

“Indeed, but you make an axe for a reason.” He nodded, smiling a bit. “The man made his axe then returned to chop down the oldest trees in the forest.” 

“Serves them right.” Max took a sip from his drink.

“Trees take a long time to grow. Those trees could have been there for centuries, but that did not make them wise.” Enocente explained. 

Max hummed. “So how do you know so much about people?”

“I have been all over the world. I went to a public school, which is diverse by default. Then I went to a college that had an ethnically diverse student body.” Enocente glanced out the window. “I roomed with some people from out East; I learned a lot.”

“Then, once my company took off, I traveled to other countries to work with like minded people.” Enocente smiled. “Being old only means I had more chances to experience than you.”

Max mulled the words over for a bit, then cocked an eyebrow. “So doesn’t that mean older people are wiser?” 

“You are only ten, but you are more aware than others, as I said before. Being ten means you had about five or so years to experience things. As a child, you are limited with what you can experience.”

“For instance, I only learned anything about the East once I went to college, something you can’t do at your age. And even traveling is limited to you. Of course, you lack money to really travel because you don’t have a good job, which is out of reach until you’re older and have the training to do so.

“So I have to be older to experience things?”

“In theory. You experienced things others your age haven’t, and even some of the campers who are older haven’t experienced them. Age, wealth, knowledge, and so on determine what you can experience.”

Max looked down. “So where does that leave me?”

He hummed. “Most children can’t wander far, but you clearly do and have been exposed to some real things that gave you your current mindset. Everyday after you become aware of your individuality, there is a chance, an opportunity to experience reality.”

“As I said, being older just means I had more opportunities, more time to experience things, but that doesn’t inherently mean I did. Some people live to be a hundred and never do anything. They just stay indoors, never go out with friends, get drunk and wake up in an alley one time.”

“That was really specific.” Max declared.

“No comment.” Enocente smiled. “I said before that it wasn’t bad to be aware. You just experienced more than others your age, and that caused you to grow into who you are now. I am who I am today because of what I experienced. I won’t lie, there are plenty of things I have not experienced that most others have, and thus, I am incapable of understanding why it was so important to those that have.”

“I never saw the value in relationships when I was a teenager, unlike my peers, and so I never understood why some tried so hard to get into them, and refused to leave when the relationship turned sour. I still don’t.”

He shrugged. “And that’s the issue today. People are incapable of understanding others completely, and that’s due to differences in experience. Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.”

Enocente shifted in his seat, sitting up right. “Unless you experience what they did, you cannot even begin to understand who they are, what they believe and why they believe it.”

“Some things can only be understood by experiencing them. What’s the deal with adrenaline junkies? Why are there so many people jumping out of planes, more than once, for a rush? It can seem odd, if not insane to some, but that’s because there’s a possibility they might die.”

“It happened during skydiving. An instructor and student died when the student’s parachute failed to open. The instructor refused to pull his own until the student’s did, so they both died since he kept trying to open it, regardless of the fact the ground was so close. So why risk it?” 

Enocente leaned forward, using his hands more and more to express his ideas. “Think of this: If you cross the street and almost get hit by a car, you’ll feel a rush of adrenaline. Then for the rest of the day you feel this high where you just smile and appreciate life.” 

Max blinked, surprised at how aniated he was getting. “So how does almost getting hit by a car help?”

“You might understand why there are people that jump from planes or tie themselves to a boat and open a parachute when they take off. It might not be for you but you might be able to understand why it is for others.” He explained. 

“Think of asking someone why they care so much about religion, and you yourself are not religious. They speak with so much passion, but every answer doesn’t make sense because you yourself are not religious, or you never experience anything you had faith in.” 

“That’s a question, is it not? What does it mean to have faith? If you consider the idea that faith in a religion is not too different from faith in an ideal or organization.” He paused to take a drink.

Enocente failed to notice his voice was starting to leave him a bit. “To have faith is to believe something, which usually has a predetermined purpose, will do what they are supposed to. You have faith they will have the answers or keep you comfortable if it’s a system, like a job or a government.” 

He mumbled, “I suppose it can be like asking a parent why they like kids. They just do. There might not be a real reason outside of instincts that belong to us throughout evolution, but can it really be so foreign of a concept of someone who doesn’t want kids that they cannot begin to comprehend the concept?

“If you have family, friends, or a loved one that you cherish, then you might understand. You didn’t ask for the family, but you might love them regardless. Or if no people like that exist, then something else like a pet, and objects like a motorcycle or home.” 

“You cherish it and are willing to do what it takes to keep it safe. If you boil down the feeling of parents, that’s kinda what they feel. They have this thing that they care for unconditionally, at best, and they do everything they can to raise it right and keep it safe.” 

He continued, “From that point of view, it might be easier for someone who wants nothing to do with kids to understand why some parents get so giddy when talking about their kids.” 

“But that love isn’t always there at the start. Some people want kids from the beginning, while others don’t want them right away, or at all. Sometimes they have kids, not expecting much, only to understand what others feel when they talk about their kids.” 

He waved his hand, mimicking something appearing from nowhere. “It just happened, and if you don’t have kids then you won’t know what other parents are talking about. That’s why for someone who hates when people show pictures of their kids, until they have kids and they’re doing the same thing.”

“Now, back to experience with age. Just because two people, say nineteen, are the same age does not mean they experienced the same thing. One could have been more introverted and as such, spent most of their time alone or with a few select friends, while the other who’s a social bug has met many people.” 

“So when it comes to social interactions, and the different types of people that come with it, the social bug will be better suited for it than the other. But that doesn't mean the introvert isn’t capable of making it far in social life.” 

“Their ability to choose their friends carefully means they are better capable of sussing out the fakes, and determining if someone is genuine and if someone has an agenda. They talked to their friends for some time, watching how they acted and tested the waters to see how they act and by extension, how they think.” 

“They spend more time observing, so they are able to see the tells that others have and can tell when someone lies.” He frowned, starting to feel a bit agitated.

“So although they might not be comfortable in a large party due to how many people are there, they will be capable of spotting the people that will end up being trouble. They see the people who will end up drinking too much, or the person who’s trying to prove themself to others, and those looking to score by any means.” 

“They can see it because unlike the social bug, they watch and observe before talking with others. Unless you do that, you won’t be able to understand why some people prefer the isolation and consolation of a few friends rather than a group of people, and why they might be so distrusting.”

He shook his head. “And at worst, you won’t be able to tell when someone is just using you, because you never tried to observe others closely.”

“A better way to explain understanding through experience, think of soldiers. I once saw a video about a veteren talking to a young soldier, and one of the first things he says to the young soldier, is something about how they’ve been through a lot.” 

“They knew at a glance because they've seen other soldiers go through bad things, or they themselves did and know how someone who has gone though those things act.” 

“A soldier that loses an entire squad can find understanding in another who lost something similar, ideally another soldier. Someone who lives through a time of war but never gone to war, can never understand the soldier. That’s why the best support system for soldiers can be another soldier.” 

“Why is losing a squad an issue? They are most likely strangers when you’re put together. The soldiers in the squad are important to one another. If you’re out on deployment, they are your family, they’re your brothers, and could very well be the only thing between you coming back with stories to tell, or in a coffin.” 

“So losing them is akin to losing family members.” Enocente stopped, looking at Max, seeing him sitting with rapt attention, something that surprised him, so he continued. 

“That veteran was old and was wise in his own right, but not because he was old, but because he at some point in his life, by his own choice or a draft, went to war and experienced things other men haven’t.” 

“And that brings us back to age. You may not get drafted when you come of age, but you can’t enlist until you’re older.”

“But what if I don’t want to?” Max asked. 

“Well, if it turns out there is no draft or if you don’t want anything to do with military service, you’ll never experience things only soldiers experience, and you may lack the ability to understand them, why they act the way they do, and vice versa.”

“Some soldiers are bothered by how uptight people have become recently, and we’re confused about why they are so… uncensored. Why are soldiers the ones most known for not caring about being politically correct?” 

“In simple terms, even though there may not be a war now, it's still a stressful job to do and unless you have some way to balance it, you’ll go insane.” He shrugged. 

“Wealth is something that can factor in. I know what other countries and their cultures are like because I have the money to travel, not to mention my job requires me to travel.” He sighed, rubbing his throat. 

“Unless you have the means to travel to other countries, the only view into how other places are like is through the internet or someone from there. But the internet may not be accurate, and even if someone tells you, it will still be hard to picture.” 

“In other countries, you can sit in a restaurant, and there’s a chance someone you don’t know can sit at your table, and no one will give a second glance. Leaving a tip is considered rude, and the waiter doesn’t check in on you like they do here. You have to flag them down when you’re ready. It’s just what they do there.”

“Experience is what makes us grow. If you don’t fail, you won’t learn and then you won’t grow. If you never experience anything bad when you're young, you won’t be able to handle it when it does happen.” 

“If you never get picked on when you were young, and you make it to high school and then get picked on, how do you act? You won’t know and might make a complete fool of yourself.” 

“And, God forbid, you are somewhere where a shooter goes on a rampage, you won’t know how to act because most people have never been around a gun when it goes off suddenly.” He looked sick for a bit, but shook the feeling off. 

“When do most people shoot guns? At a gun range, and when you go out hunting.” He looked out the window.

“Things like that, but at the mall? And some of those shooters use something bigger than a sidearm. The noise is much louder, and you probably aren’t using ear protection. Sadly, that is a real threat today, so some people are worrying about what to do if it happens.” 

His voice became softer, making Max lean in closer ott hear. “Sure, you can say you’ll duck and cover, try to save others, or actually try and stop the shooter. But when the first shot goes off, you freeze. Or, you’ll run because your fight or flight instincts kicked in and you ran for the sake of preserving your own life.” 

There was a moment of silence, one that Max was afraid to break. Not even the chatter of the other people in the room bothered them. It was uncomfortable, but neither really wanted to break it. 

But Enocente did.

“Soldiers and cops might know what to do. They might duck and start looking for the source, or if they’re near others they might shove them into cover. They trained for that, maybe not that specifically, but they do train. And they may have experienced it.”

“In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to worry about those things. There would be no shootings, not hate, and everyone would understand everyone so there would be no discourse between people.”

“But we don’t. So, what’s better? To be someone who knows that this world has horrors in it, or someone that thinks everything is perfect? I experienced some things that made me who I am, and some people think what I experienced warranted therapy.”

“Sure, I would not wish that on someone else, but I would not trade what I experienced. If I hadn’t gone through those things I did, I would not be who I am today. I would not have achieved what I did if I hadn’t. Some things may have been better, but I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

“Some parents shelter their kids because they want to protect them, but in doing so, the children are unprepared for a world that doesn’t care about their feelings. This world is beautiful, but I have horrible things in it, and those sheltered kids are not prepared.”

“And with the way they are raised is only hampering progress. If you are taught to dance around every issue and difference between people as if tiptoeing around glass cups, we will never be able to address it. And we won’t be able to fix the issue.” 

“Do you think someone being homosexual would be so accepted if we never talked about it? Some religious people think they are going to hell, as if they are evil or corrupted. I heard there was a Christian preacher, I think it was a preacher, actually supporting those of the LGBTQ commutnty, despite them being the ones most opposed.”

“He doesn’t see them like they’re unnatural. He sees them as people, because they are. But some people think otherwise because they are raised by people that see them as unnatural. They would go through life thinking that unless they meet them. They need to experience it.”

“Experience is something… indescribable. It makes people into something more than we could in our natural state. It makes people great, makes them see things others can’t. Without it, nobody could have done the great things they have.”

Enocente sported a grin, suddenly feeling elated. “If JFK was raised differently, he might not have been able to stop the Cuban missile crisis, or might not have become president.”

“That’s why it’s so important. Do you… under… stand? Oh, um, shit.” Enocente cleared his throat. 

Sheepish, he tried to avoid eye contact. “You okay?” 

Enocente coughed. “Yeah, just not used to talking for so long. Sorry, but I don’t normally get to rant for so long. Someone usually cuts me off.”

Max smirked, amusement on his face. “I don’t care. You don’t look that old when you do that.”

“I’m not old, brat.” Enocente said happily. “If there’s anything you can take from this, just remember that even though there’s horrible things, there are also good things. I hope you might experience some of that at camp, but whatever, right?”

Max nodded, replying, ”Right.”

“Good boy.” Enocente reached over, ruffling Max’s hair affectionately. 

“Aww.” Enocente blinked and looked over, expecting the waitress, only to see a woman and two kids. “He’s yours?”

Without missing a beat, Enocente said, “For today.”

“Oh.” Her smile faded. “Well, it’s good that you two still get along.”

Enocente nodded and she left. “What was that about?” Max asked.

“She thought you were my kid and I only have partial custody.” Enocente explained casually.

“Why?”

“You have black hair, I have black hair. You dark, I dark.” Enocente sipped from his drink.

“Isn’t that… a big assumption?”

He shrugged. “Welcome to America.”

“I also have green eyes. You don’t.” Max pointed out.

Enocente nodded. “True, but children can take features from  _ both  _ parents.” Max hummed, quietly contemplating. “Before she gets back, go ahead and pick what you want. Price isn’t that much of an issue.”

Max blinked, confused. “What?”

“You’re worried about ordering something expensive.” He stated, not looking up from the menu. “Don’t be. You want a big steak? Get a big steak.”

“What makes you say that?” Max asked.

Enocente, setting the menu down, stared into Max’s eyes for a moment before answering, “That’s how I acted when I was younger.”

The two sat in silence, neither willing to express their thoughts to the other. Enocente’s face was unreadable and Max was obviously conflicted. Enocente wondered about what Max has been through. Absent parents aren't too hard to spot, the signs were there. He doesn’t trust adults, but fortunately it was just a “adults don’t care” rather than “adults are dangerous.” When he checked him when he was sick with… magic stuff, he noted that he wasn’t aas light as he thought previously. A little thin for someone his size and age, but nothing to worry about immediately. Still wanting to err on the side of caution, Enocente was hoping he would get something with decent calories, see if he can get some healthy weight on. He didn’t know if money was tight at home or if he just didn’t eat a lot, but he wanted to help. Now Max was seeming a bit more comfortable. Enocente wasn’t trying to get him to spill his whole life story, just get him to open enough that he can help as much as he can before Max leaves at the end of summer. Maybe he can-

“So this is where you two have been?” David asked, his hands on his hips.

Enocente glanced at him. “Do you ever give up?”

“You didn’t tell me where you were going, and Max wasn’t wearing a helmet.” He looked disapprovingly down at Max, who glared at him. “It’s only natural that I would come.”

“I got taken by the Wood Scouts and you didn’t do anything!” Max snapped, starting to really get fed up with David, then pointed at Enocente. “ _ He _ came for me when he found out and brought me back, not you!”

“Enough.” Enocente raised his hands, noticing some people turning their head towards them. “Let’s just get some food in our bellies then head back to camp. Good?”

David considered this, smiled, then sat down next to Max, who scooted over grumpily. “That sounds like a splendid idea.”

“That wasn’t an invitation.” Enocente muttered.

“Well I always believed food taste better with friends!” David declared happily, ruffling Max’ hair as he asked, “Isn't that right, Max?”

The boy swatted the hand away, glaring at him. “You have a way with words that just make me want to kill myself.”

“I agree.” Enocente stated. “Your overly happy personality makes me wish I was still an alcoholic.”

David adopted a slightly sad smile. “Come one, sir, try to have some fun. It’s good for you.”

Deciding not to reprimand the man for talking to him as if  _ he  _ was the child in this situation, and instead acted as if he was considering. “Maybe you’re right.”

Max sputtered, “What?” He looked horrified at what he just heard.

David was equally surprised, of the faltered smile and wide eyes were any indication. He asked in a hopeful tone, “Really?”

Enocente grinned, answering, “Yeah. I think I know just what to do!”

“What?”

Calm as can be. “Start a bar fight.”

“Hell yeah!” Max yelled in excitement, ignoring the startled looks of the other customers.

David, shocked to the point of being momentarily speechless, quickly pushed Max back into his seat. “Wha- no! Besides, no one here wants to fight with anyone. Everyone is super nice.”

Enocente frowned, but noticed the key to a fun evening. A man, clearly drunk, stumbled towards the bathroom. After he entered, Enocente smirked evilly. “Don’t worry, I got you.”

Enocente got up, ignoring their looks. He entered the restroom, spotting the man at the urinal, and there was no one else there. Perfect. He walked to the one right next to him. Smirking, Enocente decided to break the most important, unwritten rules of the mens restroom. He looked at the man, who looked back at him. Enocente leaned over, looking down briefly then back up at the man. He then whispered four words, just four, and nothing more:

“Hey, buddy. _ Nice cock _ .”

Max got a refill on his fanta, but was annoyed since not only was he stuck next to David, but he told the waitress that he needed time, so he had to wait even longer. Before David could start a conversation, Max ducked under the table and popped up on the other side. He hoped he would get some peace and quiet, since David seemed to actually understand he didn’t want to talk.

The restroom door burst open, Enocente and some random guy rushed out, knocking things over as they did and were throwing punches. The man was slow and off balance, proving to be his biggest disadvantage. Taking advantage of his drunken state, Enocente kicked him in the stomach and then kneed him in the face. He yelled and was swaying one way or the other, blood pouring from his nose. He was grinning as he shoved the man into three men sitting at a table. Two of which were fairly muscled. They stood up and faced him, all angry. 

The first one charged, throwing a punch, but Enocente ducked under and slammed his fist into the man’s jaw. He staggered back so Enocente picked up the serving tray off the table, hurling it at the man’s face. Said man was in the process of rushing Enocente, but once the tray hit him in the face, his head snapped back and he tripped over his own feet, falling onto a chair. 

“Bullseye!” Max yelled, jumping onto the table. “Ten points!”

“Max!” David exclaimed. “Enocente, please stop!”

The second guy rushed forward, but Enocente was able to simply block his swings with his arm. With a shout, Enocente crouched down, wrapped his arms around the man’s thighs, and hoisted him up. He promptly slammed the man backfirst into the table, breaking the legs and spilling everything to the floor.

The biggest of the three rushed over with a glass beer bottle raised over his head. “Look out!” Max yelled.

Enocente whirled around and barely managed to stop the bottle with his arm, but the bottle broke, the glass slashing the sleeve of his jacket. He looked at his arm, finding that the sleeve took the worst of it. With a growl, Enocente stalked towards the man, his face contorted in rage. The man tried using what was left of the bottle to stab him in the gut, but Enocente grabbed his wrist, holding it in place. He punched him in the gut, making him peel over, and then quickly followed it up with a punch to the side of the head, flooring him.

Finally, Enocente turned, spotting the first guy staggering to his feet. Smirking, Enocente waved him over. “Come on.” 

The man rushed him and Enocente met him halfway, the two quickly grappling. The man punched Enocente in the side, so he kneed him in the gut, breaking the grapple. Taking advantage, Enocente socked him in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. 

He fell to the floor, then rolled over so he could attempt to crawl away on his hands and knees. “Hey, buddy.” Enocente got behind him, smiling. “How’s the kids?”

Enocente smirked, drew his leg back and then slammed the toe of his  _ boot  _ into the man’s nuts. There was a collective groan from every dude. A shrill screech made Enocente flinch and he turned to see David get grabbed by one of the people he was fighting. Andother made to grab Max so he grabbed a glass from a table and he chucked it at his head. The moment it smashed against his head, Max slipped out of his grasp. Enocente rushed over and picked him up, much to Max’s annoyance.

“Hold up!” A man shouted, and they turned to see one of the men holding David, twisting his arm behind his back. “You ain’t going anywhere, beaner!”

The waitress came forward, yelling, “That’s it! I’m calling the cops!”

Blanching, Enocente turned towards David, who was still being held hostage. “Alright, David, it looks like we can’t save you.”

David quickly squirmed in the man’s hold. “Y-yes you can. You haven’t tried yet.”

Seeing the waitress rush behind the bar, Enocente nodded. “You’re right, I should think about the children.”

David blanched. “What?”

Enocente placed Max over his shoulder. “It’s an honorable sacrifice you’re making here.” He had a solemn expression.

“N-no! I’m not honorable!” David yelled, unable to break free. 

“I’ll always remember you, bye!” Enocente turned and darted out of the restaurant, Max held over his shoulder.

“Start by remembering me now!”

“You fall behind, you get left behind!” Enocente yelled, slamming the door open and rushing to his bike.

They sped off, Enocente laughing loudly. After getting away they stopped at a gas station to top up. “What now?” Max asked.

“Feel like getting some gas station hotdogs and a slushie?” Enocente asked, smiling when Max nodded.

**David**

By the time they got back, the sun had gone down, and David, his ass throughly kicked, was waiting for them. Max hopped off, sipping on his slurpee he held most of the way. Once Enocente parked his Harley, he opened the saddlebag and managed to wiggle out his slushie from between his helmet and some chips he bought at the gas station.

“Ha! Told you it would be fine.” He called out to Max, who rolled his eyes. “Harley never lets me down.” He turned to Max, ruffling his hair. “Make sure you don’t stay up too late.”

“Yes,  _ mom _ .” Max rolled his eyes, still smiling as he walked to his tent. 

David watched as Max walked away, happier than he’s ever seen him. But before he could confront him about what he did that day, Harrison walked up to Enocente, looking anxious.

“Um, Enocente?” 

Enocente looked down at Harrison. “Yes, lad?” He asked around his straw.

“Is it okay if I can talk to you for a bit?” Enocente hummed, so Harrison quickly added, “I promise I won’t take up too much time.”

Enocente chuckled, patting him on the head. “Relax. I’m happy to talk. Come in.” He led a smiling Harrison into his office, slurping loudly. 

At that point, there was nothing David could do. He wanted to get upset at how dangerous the bike ride was, and the fight he started. Max could have gotten hurt, and he was encouraging Max to be more violent by suggesting starting fights was fun. He really wanted to stop him, encourage safe, good behavior, but he just couldn’t. Enocente wouldn’t listen, or take him seriously. Even if David was to try to force the issue, Enocente could get angry, and that wouldn’t end well for him. 

Enocente was too scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that rant was bothering me. I didn't intend for it to be so long, and when I was thinking about it, pacing around my room and in my head I made a fairly decent discussion. Sadly, I didn't record it in any way so we have that, lol.
> 
> so next chapter, serious things and some supernatural stuff.  
Magic things not the show.
> 
> Tell me how I did, please. Any major mistakes and possibly suggestions, I enjoy constructive criticisms. I know I may not be one who responds often here, but if there is a question I will try to answer, otherwise I will leave a general response in a note. 
> 
> Thank you.


End file.
